Empires of the Undergrowth is a real-time strategy game where you grow an ant colony by gathering resources and fighting rival insects. Its playable ant and termite species are the colony types you can take control of. Each one plays differently, so the species you pick changes how your colony grows and fights. The other ants and termites you meet are enemies you can't command.
Type
Ants
Big-headed Ant
Its supersoldiers stun and knock enemies back, and can execute small targets.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Swamp
- Castes
- Queen; Minor; Major; Supersoldier
- Story Mode
- No full colony in the main story; big-headed ants appear as enemies in Cold Blood, The REAL Final Experiment, and Enemy of My Enemy 2.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Full colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay.
- Colony Specialty
- Supersoldiers can stun and knock back enemies, then execute small targets.
Black Ant
A three-caste colony with workers and biting soldiers.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Woodland
- Castes
- Queen; Worker; Soldier
- Story Mode
- Full colony in Tutorial, New Home, Subjugation, and The Culling; black ant soldiers also appear as units in the main story.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Full colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay.
- Colony Specialty
- Soldiers attack by biting.
Bullet Ant
Its soldier executes small enemies and can paralyze targets with a venomous sting.
- Colony Status
- Unit only; not a standalone colony
- Environment
- Formicarium
- Castes
- Soldier
- Story Mode
- Soldiers only. Bullet ant soldiers become available to the primary colony after the main story is completed, for New Game Plus.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Soldier units are playable in custom games; Bullet ant is not a standalone species in the Freeplay colony list.
- Colony Specialty
- Soldiers can execute small enemies and sting to paralyze targets while dealing venom damage over time.
Exploding Ant
Minor soldiers detonate to slow enemies, while major soldiers reinforce allies inside the nest.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Rainforest
- Castes
- Queen; Worker; Minor soldier; Major soldier
- Story Mode
- No full colony in the main story. Minor soldiers are available from the start; major soldiers unlock after the first main-story completion.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Full colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay; requires the Exploding Ants DLC.
- Colony Specialty
- Minor soldiers can explode to damage and slow enemies; major soldiers reinforce nearby allies while fighting inside their nest.
Fire Ant
Workers and soldiers can form floating bridges to cross water.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Swamp
- Castes
- Queen; Worker; Soldier
- Story Mode
- Full colony in Cold Blood and A Bridge Too Far; fire ant soldiers are also playable as units in the main story.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Full colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay.
- Colony Specialty
- Workers and soldiers can form floating bridges; choose Pervasive or Vigorous soldiers before a game.
Gene-thief Ant
Royal Jelly lets its queen select traits that shape future brood.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Lab
- Castes
- Queen; Worker; Royal guard; Larry
- Story Mode
- The main-story player colony; Royal guards and Larry are unlockable units.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Gene-thief/custom colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay. Myrmecia ereptor is an alternate cosmetic skin for this colony.
- Colony Specialty
- The queen can use Royal Jelly to select traits for future brood.
Leafcutter Ant
Minims carry harvested leaves to grow the fungus that feeds the colony.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Rainforest
- Castes
- Queen; Minim; Minor; Media; Major
- Story Mode
- Full colony in The Harvest and Front Line; mediae and majors are also playable as units in story missions.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Full colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay.
- Colony Specialty
- Minims carry leaves to grow fungus, the colony's food source; choose taunt or stun majors before a game.
Little Black Ant
Soldiers spray enemies to confuse them and make them more vulnerable to damage.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Swamp
- Castes
- Queen; Worker; Soldier
- Story Mode
- No full colony in the main story; little black ants appear as enemies in Cold Blood, A Bridge Too Far, The REAL Final Experiment, and Enemy of My Enemy 2.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Full colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay.
- Colony Specialty
- Soldiers spray chemicals that confuse enemies and make them take more damage.
Matabele Ant
Medics can revive fallen ants, and the colony relies on termites for food.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Savannah
- Castes
- Queen; Worker; Medic; Soldier
- Story Mode
- Full colony in Triage and Drive Them Back; medics and soldiers are also playable as units in the main story.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Full colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay.
- Colony Specialty
- Medics carry dead ants back to the nest to revive them; the colony must feed on termites.
Wood Ant
Shooters fire formic acid and can use mortar or rapid-fire attacks.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Beach
- Castes
- Queen; Worker; Soldier; Shooter
- Story Mode
- Full colony in Rising Tide and Queen of the Hill; wood ant soldiers and shooters are also playable as units in the main story.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Full colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay.
- Colony Specialty
- Choose mortar or rapid-fire shooters before a game; shooters fire formic acid while grounded.
Type
Termites
Exploding Termite
Mature workers explode to confuse enemies and deal damage over time.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Rainforest
- Castes
- Queen; King; Worker; Soldier
- Story Mode
- No full colony in the main story. Workers are available from the start; soldiers unlock after the first main-story completion.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Full colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay; requires the Exploding Ants DLC.
- Colony Specialty
- Mature workers can explode to confuse enemies and deal damage over time; the colony feeds on lignocellulose.
Fungus-growing Termite
Workers process lignocellulose into fungus, while soldiers weaken enemies or support allies.
- Colony Status
- Complete colony
- Environment
- Savannah
- Castes
- Queen; King; Minor worker; Major worker; Minor soldier; Major soldier
- Story Mode
- Full colony in Last Mound Standing; minor and major termite soldiers are also playable as units in the main story.
- Custom Game / Freeplay
- Full colony selectable in custom games and Freeplay.
- Colony Specialty
- Workers process lignocellulose into fungus; minor soldiers debuff enemies and major soldiers boost nearby allies.
Which Ant and Termite Species Can You Play?
You start with the gene-thief ant, a fictional species that integrates genetic data from other species through Royal Jelly. Every other playable species is a real ant or termite, from the black ant and fire ant to the Matabele ant and the exploding termite. Their habits in the game follow how these insects live in the wild.
How to Unlock Playable Ant and Termite Species
Black ants, wood ants, fire ants, leafcutter ants, Matabele ants and the fungus-growing termite are each played as full colonies in their own story missions. Once that mission is done, your gene-thief colony can add that species' soldiers. You pay for them with Royal Jelly, which you earn by finishing missions.
Exploding ants and exploding termites come with the Exploding Ants expansion, which is sold separately from the base game. Within the expansion, exploding ant minor soldiers and exploding termite workers are available as soon as you have it, while exploding ant major soldiers and exploding termite soldiers wait until you finish the main story.
Bullet ant soldiers also unlock after you finish the main story once, in New Game Plus.
Big-headed ants and little black ants are left out of the main story. They're playable as full colonies only in extra missions and in custom games or Freeplay.
How Playable Ant and Termite Species Fight Differently
Each colony runs on workers and soldiers. Workers handle everyday jobs like gathering food, while soldiers do the fighting. Upgrades paid for with Royal Jelly make soldiers tougher.
Exploding ant minor soldiers sacrifice themselves to damage nearby enemies and briefly slow them down.
Exploding termites work differently. The exploding termite worker gains its explosion only if it survives long enough, and the blast grows stronger the longer it lives.
Which Playable Ant and Termite Species Matter Most?
Your gene-thief colony matters most, since it's the colony you start with and the one that gains soldiers from the other species. The Matabele ant stands out for a different reason: it relies on raiding termite nests for food, and its medics carry fallen ants home to revive them.
Bullet ant soldiers are among the strongest ants you can add, so they're worth aiming for.
FAQ
How do you unlock bullet ant soldiers?
Finish the main story once and carry on into New Game Plus. Bullet ants never come as a full colony; their soldiers join your gene-thief colony as a high-cost unit.
Do you need the Exploding Ants expansion to play exploding species?
Yes. Besides the exploding units, the expansion adds two new levels, one for exploding ants and one for exploding termites.
Where do you spend Royal Jelly?
In the Formicarium, between story missions. Royal Jelly unlocks new gene-thief units and adaptations for your lab colony.