CENTINIDE

«Centinide seed shells drones»

When it enters the atmosphere, air resistance causes the shell to heat up and emit light, thus forming a fireball; such high temperatures do not destroy seeds shells since they are essentially a specific chitin that is mainly composed of silicate minerals.

Once on planet surface the shells open and release a potent pheromone that attracts all kinds of planet native insects, once they have contact with sticky Tyranid pollen grains on seeds the pollination starts.
Each insect carries the Tyranid pollen and distribute them for native flora, each plant that receives this pollen becomes part of the Tyranid hive, and even if they look unaltered in the visible exterior the roots mutate exceptionally.

These roots grow to gigantic lengths at incredible speeds and are below the surface of the soil, never surfacing until first Tyranid wave of attack starts.
Highly similar to centipedes in shape these roots are highly segmented and have a pair of venomous spikes per segment.

Once Hive ships arrive all Centinides surface from the ground destroying from bunkers, fortifications to even entire cities foundations even if they are easily cut down since they are very slow and sluggish most of the damage is already done.

Centinide plant genome was harvested at Catachan.