Florachnid

Cryptologic Name: Araloulou s.
Planar Origin: Mithyrea
Habitat: They occupy a variety of habitats, but are most common in temperate and subtropical climates
Diet: Herbivorous, subsisting primarily on nectar

Appearance & Morphology
Florachnids, sometimes called “flower spiders,” are an unusual genus of creature which resemble spiders with flowers for their abdomens. There is a wide variety of species, each with a unique type of flower growing from their rear segment. Body color varies between the species, but most are in the range of green to brown, with a few others being white or other bright colors. Like their nonmagical counterparts, these creatures have a cephalothorax and four pairs of segmented legs.

Magical Abilities and Behavior
While florachnids may look very similar to nonmagical spiders, but do not spin webs or eat insects like their counterparts, in fact they subsist almost exclusively on flower nectar. These creatures can most commonly be found in areas where you will find flowers matching those on their abdomen, whether wild or cultivated. Nectar from matching flower species seems to be preferred, though they will drink nectar from other flowers when necessary. Because their primary source of food is only available seasonally in most of their natural environments, florachnids will hibernate through the winter. Their floral abdomens will also wither as the stored nutrients are absorbed through the cold months, eventually being replaced by a new bud in late winter, which will begin to bloom as soon as they come out of hibernation. Species that live in more tropical regions do not follow this cycle, remaining active throughout the year.

Reproduction in these creatures is unique because it relies entirely on their plant-like qualities, and is reliant on plants matching the characteristics of their floral abdomens. Just like their plant counterparts, these creatures have to be pollenated in order to reproduce. While they don’t produce pollen themselves (in other words all florachnids are female), they require pollen from a related species to reproduce. Florachnids have a functioning pseudostamen in their floral abdomens which will collect pollen from their corresponding species and fertilize their ova. Many rely on the same methods as their botanical counterparts, such as bee and bird species who normally help pollenate the corresponding flowers, however florachnids have the benefit of being able to move freely and as such they can collect the pollen they need on their own in the absence of cooperative species. Although these creatures use pollen to reproduce, their offspring are laid as eggs and not seeds, growing in a fashion more like their animal equivalents than their plant ones.

These odd creatures do not have active magical abilities, but the petals of their floral abdomens are especially potent ingredients in potions and spellwork. Any magical work which calls for petals of a specific species of flower can substitute petals from a florachnid to increase the potency of that magic.

Field Notes

• There has been a great deal of debate on whether to classify these creatures as plants or animals, given their unusual morphology and characteristics from each group, particularly their reproductive methods. There are plenty of mobile and sentient plant species in the magical world so it would not be out of place to put these creatures into that category, however the current accepted classification is under the animal class, as they cannot photosynthesize.