Thufaki

The Thufaki are an alien species which live on Umogvi V, an M-Class planet which falls under the jurisdiction of the Kalarans. 

Visually, they resemble large, bipedal dragonflies. They have fluffy feathers that cover their chest, and large display feathers on their heads and tails. They average about a meter in height, with a variation of fifteen centimeters taller or shorter being common. Their tails are flexible near the base, but the exoskeletal plates seem to have fused past the first third of the tail.

The term Thufaki is an exonym, and translations of their most common languages suggests they call themselves "the Crested," presumably in reference to the feathered display structures on their heads. The small amount of archaeology that has been done on the planet suggests there was a sibling species (similar to the Neanderthals on Earth) which only died out within the last couple century, and which did not have any of the Crested's vibrant feathers - perhaps being the origin of their self-appointed name for themselves. 

It is difficult to observe and study a species which does not know its observers exist. The Crested are an agrarian society, with the discovery of agriculture and animal husbandry being quite recent, but predating the decline and extinction of their crest-less cousins. 

What has been observed is that the Crested seem to functionally have three sexes, or at least that three individuals are required for reproduction. Specific tracked individuals have been noted to play different roles in subsequent years of observation. Two of the sexes are analogous to male and female, but instead of females getting pregnant, it is the third sex which acts as a carrier for the offspring. Pregnancy lasts for six months, and most broods contain between three and seven young. Crested do not metamorphose, hatching as a miniature version of their parents.

The Crested practice a semi-cooperative relationship with a species of spider-like animals they call chitters. The relationship is similar to that of dogs and humans, with chitters assisting their owners on hunts, in guarding property and livestock, and being companions. 

The Crested exist across their warm planet and have cultivated several different types of plants into being more farmable and more nutritious. There are at least half a dozen species that are in the process of being domesticated, including giant aphids, silkworms, slugs, and bees.