Spore Mantis

The Spore Mantis (Latin: Phasmid sylas) was an enormous monster which appeared in the 2017 creature-feature Kong: Skull Island and it’s prequel comic Skull Island: The Birth of Kong.

Description
Appearing to be a gigantic stick insect some fifty feet in length, the Spore Mantis was a carnivorous beast whose outer shell seemed to be made of bark, and which walked on six thick legs. It had a small head, which it was able to retract into its armoured body when under threat.

Although it looked very similar to a stick insect, the Spore Mantis was in fact a parasitic creature resembling a colossal slug. The parasite infested a dead tree which it used as a host, offering it greater protection from predation. This beast utilised a digestive sap to before excreting the hard parts of its prey as rock-hard amber scat, which perfectly preserved the remains.

The Spore Mantis was a monster unique to Skull Island.

History
After airman Major Jack Chapman’s helicopter was downed by Kong, he left his smashed vehicle and took a moment to rest, sitting with his back to what he thought was nothing more than a fallen log. However, the log reared up, and revealed itself to be a Spore Mantis. Chapman grabbed his rifle and shot the Mantis several times, chipping off parts of its bark-like skin, after which the Mantis retreated.

Thinking that he had chased the beast away, Chapman turned around, only to see that the Mantis had run because of the presence of a Skullcrawler, which promptly ate him.