Antlion
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| Antlion | |
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| General information | |
| Type |
Insect |
| Game information | |
| Entity |
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| Designer(s) | |
The Antlion is a voracious insect-like creature that came to Earth after the Black Mesa Incident.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Antlions are social creatures which live in large underground colonies. They include several subspecies, such as the Antlion Soldier, which is the most commonly found, the Antlion Worker, which works in nests and protects the Antlion Grubs, the larvaes, the Antlion Guard, a taller Antlion, and the Antlion Guardian, which rules the nests. Antlions are blind and use pheromones to identify other living beings.
[edit] Behavior and skills
Common Antlions are the most visible element of a larger Antlion society, most of which is kept hidden in fiercely defended underground nests. It is not clear how Antlions breed. One resistance member is heard referring to a "spawning season" at the beginning of the Highway 17 chapter, but whether Antlions mate separately, have a queen/drone system or practice something completely alien to Earth sensibilities is not known. Their young begin life as larvae in blue honeycombs similar to those of bees. The extract of these larvae is highly prized by the Vortigaunts for its healing properties. The larvae grow into large grubs, which are attended to and protected by Antlion Workers and Antlion Guardians. Within this system common Antlions presumably serve as hunter gatherers. Inside their nests decomposed bodies of other creatures can often be discovered, trapped in the viscous silk the grubs produce as a food source, and some of their deepest chambers are pooled with blood.
[edit] History
Antlions were once farmed by Vortigaunts for their larval extract and a number of other purposes, possibly on their homeworld (no Xen creature is native from there,[2] so Antlions likely never went on Xen before reaching Earth); the Victory Mine Vortigaunt states that Antlion husbandry was once their ancestral practice. Since the Combine invasion of Earth and the beginning of the Portal Storms the Antlions have established themselves on Earth. They have obviously been very successful in doing so, possibly to the point of causing extinction to other kinds of Earth fauna. So widespread were the Antlions on Earth that the Combine had to install a large network of thumpers around Nova Prospekt, as well as a vast variation to the base of the Citadel. When these were shut down by Gordon Freeman's activities, both Nova Prospekt and City 17 were quickly overrun by Antlions, with chaotic results.
[edit] Behind the scenes
In the cut wasteland chapters of Half-Life 2, the player was to visit Antlion caves where they would meet the Antlion King and Antlion Grubs, among other enemies. The whole area and idea was brought back in Episode Two.
[edit] Trivia
The Antlion (scientific name Myrmeleontidae) is an actual insect; strictly speaking, the term Antlion applies to its larval form which does somewhat resemble Valve's creation.
[edit] Gallery
[edit] Retail Antlions
 The Antlion Grub. |
 The Antlion Soldier. |
 The Antlion Worker. |
 The Antlion Guard. |
 The Antlion Guardian. |
[edit] Cut Antlions
 The Antlion King. |
[edit] List of appearances
- Half-Life 2 (First appearance)
- Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
- Half-Life 2: Episode One
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two
[edit] Notes and references
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
- ↑ Marc Laidlaw Vault on the HalfLife2.net Forums
[edit] External links
| Antlions | ||
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| Retail Antlions | Antlion Grub · Antlion Guard · Antlion Guardian · Antlion Soldier · Antlion Worker · Antlion Detector · Pheropods · Victory Mine | |
| Cut Antlions | Antlion King | |
