If the creature had any pheromones, they have all long rotted away. Figuring out the meaning of all the other bits of meat inside of the creature based on a few rotting corpses was impossible with our level of scientific advancements.
I had a different idea.
"The metal eaters must belong to a species. When they evolved, they most likely based their way of hiding on some gene they had originally. At least, it's the cheapest way. Call the Archivists, Tabletina—I want them to sift through all sketches of caterpillars and larvae and find the ones most similar to those. Perhaps we already met the unevolved versions of these metal-eaters!"
"Yes, Father," Tabletina lowered her head. "What about the autopsy?"
I looked at the carcass with its skin and bones pulled apart, its innards full of dark, ugly bruises and old blood…
