Screenshot Saturday - The Great Blue Skimmer

[MikeSlugDisco]

It's time to show another model from the Empires of the Undergrowth fire ant update, and reveal a species. Hovering over the swamps of North Carolina will be the great blue skimmer (Libellula vibrans), a large dragonfly that can reach a titanic 63mm in body length! It's native to much of the eastern United States, and is one of the largest members of the skimmer family.

Dragonflies are some of the most efficient hunters in nature, with 95% of their hunts being successful on average. Compare this to 30% for the lion, the so-called "king of beasts", and you'll see that perspective is all important when deciding who is nature's finest predator!

 

[AntBoi]

OH-

 

[pakitane16]

Judging by its size comparing to ant nest, it's a titan right?

 

[Scyobi_Empire]

I can tell that this monster of a dragonfly has a highchance to be selected to have an Uber Variant.

 

[MikeSlugDisco]

Judging by its size comparing to ant nest, it's a titan right?

It is indeed a titan.

I can tell that this monster of a dragonfly has a highchance to be selected to have an Uber Variant.

I don't think we'll be doing uber variants of titans (ubers should count for an existential threat; titans do not enter nests).

 

[The vegetarian ant]

I can tell that this monster of a dragonfly has a highchance to be selected to have an Uber Variant.

I don't think so, the huge whip spider is the first titan and it doesn't have an uber variant

 

[Scyobi_Empire]

It is indeed a titan.



I don't think we'll be doing uber variants of titans (ubers should count for an existential threat; titans do not enter nests).

Titans? Are they a creature option (that I didn't know existed until now)?

 

[MikeSlugDisco]

Titans? Are they a creature option (that I didn't know existed until now)?

They're quite a specific thing; the huge whip spider is practically a titan but we didn't want to call it that before the creature climbing system was properly implemented. It might be retroactively grouped with titans later on.

Titans are large creatures that have unique behaviours or abilities, appearing singularly and guarding resources or progress in some way. They don't invade nests so they don't represent a threat to the colony itself, but tackling them in some way is often necessary to reach a goal.

 

[person111]

Do ants also kill these Skimmers in the real world?

 

[pakitane16]

Do ants also kill these Skimmers in the real world?

Dradonflies hunt alates irl. They don't touch the ground so ants can only attack wounded or dead dragonflies.

 

[The vegetarian ant]

Dradonflies hunt alates irl. They don't touch the ground so ants can only attack wounded or dead dragonflies.

then the ants need to invent guns to bring them down, or grappling hooks, or big pannels of wood to rise when the dragon fly passes nearby so it hits it and fall

 

[TheRexYo]

then the ants need to invent guns to bring them down, or grappling hooks, or big pannels of wood to rise when the dragon fly passes nearby so it hits it and fall

 

[TheRexYo]

Does this thing fly around in-game? Because last time I checked, Dragonflies are incredibly fast and that would make them pretty powerful, not to mention downright untouchable.

 

[MikeSlugDisco]

It'll be flying and occasionally landing. Time to climb on it and do some damage when it rests.

 

[TheRexYo]

Also, food for thought - imagine a Meganeuropsis (a larger relative of the 'Griffinfly' Meganeura) in-game! XD
(For reference, they have a body length of 430mm, though extinct)

 

[TheRexYo]

It'll be flying and occasionally landing. Time to climb on it and do some damage when it rests.

I see. I reckon Wood Ant ranged units won't work on it while flying?

 

[The vegetarian ant]

Also, food for thought - imagine a Meganeuropsis (a larger relative of the 'Griffinfly' Meganeura) in-game! XD
(For reference, they have a body length of 430mm, though extinct)

so basically a flying coconut crab

 

[TheRexYo]

so basically a flying coconut crab

More like the modern Dragonfly's steroid-loving cousin.

 

[VarmintLP]

Reading through some comments it sounds rather crazy that ants would have guns. That should be a random meme mode option I feel. Like GTA (Grand Theft Ants) xD
I can just imagine the ants pimping their exoskeleton.

Back to normality. Most antspecies don't see the insects as their eyes are basically under developped due to living under ground for a big part of their lives. That is why they use pheromones and smell. They can coordinate through those means and only see what is kind of right in front of them. I heard of a species that has actually really good eyes and that they would follow your finger if you came near them but I don't know what species it is nor have I read about them anywhere else. Not to call the guy a liar but I cannot confirm this from anything I read. However I imagine that he might have been talking about some kind of weaver ants. They spend much more time in bright spots as their nests are build inside of trees and therefor I could imagine that those have much better eyes. Also since they sometimes live on dragon fruit trees and somewhat protect the fruits of those trees from other insects.

I could imagine that the ants could try to go for a dragon fly but unless it's already hurt or the ants are very quick on climbing onto the dragon fly it might not be very easy in RL for ants to get hold of dragon fly meat. So unless it lands straight on an anthill, it will not be eaten.