Antlion (Half-Life 2)
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Antlions are a fictional insect-like alien species found in Valve Software's first-person shooter action computer game, Half-Life 2. While they prefer sandy environments, these Antlions have otherwise little in common with real antlions, preferring to directly assault prey rather than passively trap them. Antlions appear in Chapters 7 (Highway 17), 8 (Sandtraps), and 9 (Nova Prospekt) of the game. They are seen in ' throughout City 17, and also feature in the trailer for ', where a different colored Antlion Guard hurtles through a tunnel, and several Vortigaunts are seen attacking Antlions with their signature green electric blasts.
Antlions
Antlions live in underground colonies, typically situated in sandy areas such as beaches. They usually hide under the sand, waiting for anything unlucky to cross its path and then quickly surface and tear it apart. Antlions sense a victim's presence via vibrations transmitted through loose soil or sand. This makes it possible to safely venture through antlion territories by walking solely over foreign items placed on the sand, or by walking across rocks. If a swarm of them are disturbed, temporary refuge may be sought in water, since Antlions cannot swim and quickly drown when they come into contact with it. It is also possible to flip the antlions over with a burst from the Gravity Gun, allowing for a quick escape. Antlions also possess the ability to fly over short distances. Their aggression is not limited to humans or even to the Combine. When undisturbed by human interference, they will also attack other xenofauna such as headcrabs.The Combine refer to the Antlions as "biotics." When Gordon Freeman assaults the Nova Prospekt maximum-security prison, bringing many Antlions with him, an Overwatch soldier can be mentioning a "full biotic overrun" of the facility. In their attempts to fend off the creatures, another soldier over the radio can be heard saying, "Nomad, get those restrictors back online, your sector shows active biotics."
The behavior of Antlions in respect to sound, vibration and aversion to water is analogous to that of Sandworms in the Dune universe. However, while the use of Thumpers in the Dune universe attracts Sandworms, Antlions in Half-Life 2 are repelled by the strong vibrations produced by them, possibly causing either sensory overload to them, or scaring them into thinking it's something much bigger than they are. Ergo for the former, mimicking the response that a Graboid has for a loud noise, such as an explosion from the movie Tremors. It can also be noted that they are not unlike the arachnid warriors of the movie version of "Starship Troopers".
Antlions are the only enemies in Half-Life 2 that gib rather than becoming ragdolls if killed with a stronger weapon.
Antlion Guards and \"bugbait\"
In addition to normal Antlions, there are also Antlion Guards, or Myrmidonts. Their technical name is Myrmidont giganticus. These are far larger and stronger than Antlions, and appear to have the ability to issue orders or otherwise control Antlions.
In the game, Gordon is required to travel along Antlion-infested coastlines until he reaches a Vortigaunt camp. There he discovers that it is under attack by an Antlion Guard, which he is forced to fight. Afterward, he meets a Vortigaunt ally who provides him with Antlion pheromone-containing pheropod glandular sacs, or "bugbait", harvested from the felled Antlion Guard (An act which is said cannot be done by humans). This bugbait fools the regular Antlions into identifying Gordon as a Myrmidont, thus allowing him to control them. In the game, Gordon directs where the Antlions go by throwing the pheropod (like a grenade) at a target. It is not known how Gordon replaces the pheropods he throws. With the help of the bugbait, Gordon led an Antlions attack against Nova Prospekt.
After Gordon has progressed into the facility, an Overwatch soldier can be heard saying, "Warning, primary target is, uh, engaged in, uh, command and control tactics with biotics. Repeat: Primary target has tactical C&C over biotics." The Nova Prospekt guards have had no experience fighting Resistance members who have control over Antlions.
Antlion grubs
Antlion grubs are the apparent larvae form of Antlions that were first seen in the leaked beta version of Half-Life 2, but were subsequently cut from the final game. These creatures are evidently returning in .
Reproduction
It is not known how Antlions reproduce, but it is possible that they live in social colonies like bees or ants. This is supported by the fact that Antlions commonly work together and the presence of Myrmidonts suggest that they have some form of caste system (another possibility would be that Antlions have a form of extreme sexual dimorphism). A scene from the trailer for Episode Two also supports this. In it, an Antlion Guard is seen charging through a tunnel with what appears to be Antlion grubs on the walls. However, a resistance member also mentions that the Antlions have a "spawning season". She could have been referring to adolescent females breeding with drones, however Gordon only encounters one type of Antlion throughout the entire Highway 17 trip. This suggests that Antlions may be able to breed individually, as opposed to the colony theory.Antlion King
A so-called "Antlion King" was touted in a few previews. It appeared to have a face resembling more of an alien, as it has few insectoid qualities. According to Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, Gordon was supposed to actually fight one of these in a "boss battle" underground. However, as the above-ground levels gained more detail and the below ground levels shrank, the decision was made to cut the Antlion King from the game. It may be the center of Antlion colonies if they are social creatures like bees or ants, but this is unlikely as the title of "King" suggests that this Antlion is male. However, the Raising the Bar book also says that the Antlions were to have a patriarchal society as opposed to matriarchal, possibly dictating that they mate in a different way than other lifeforms typically do.Defense
Whilst the countryside around City 17 (and presumably the rest of the planet as well) is swarming with Antlions, cities are protected by large mechanical devices known as "thumpers". These machines repeatedly pound the ground and the vibrations they produce are strong enough to intimidate Antlions, preventing the creatures from swarming into protected areas (a possible reference to the thumpers of Dune). Large thumpers, apparently built using a mixture of Combine and human technology, appear around the perimeters of City 17 and Nova Prospekt. The Combine refer to the thumpers as "perimeter restrictors."Curiously, in the original Half-Life, devices resembling thumpers can be seen on the alien world Xen. This has been interpreted by some as suggesting that Antlions originate in Xen. However, despite this resemblance these machines do not "thump" the ground in manner of the thumpers. While Marc Laidlaw has confirmed that Antlions have come to Earth from Xen [link], it has been suggested that the Xen "thumpers" are actually mining equipment.
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In it is revealed that it is possible to block Antlion burrows with large, heavy objects such as cars. Once blocked, Antlions can no longer get out of them. Instead, the barricade is seen shaking as the creatures repetitively and unsuccessfully attempt to rise to the surface.
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