Environment

This page shows the environments of doccumentary missions.

## **European woodland**

Black ants set up their home beneath rotting logs in a European woodland. Nothing is known about the surface beside the activity of slave-maker ants somewhere nearby.

The soil beneath the decaying wood forms many crevices for devil's coach horse beetles and funnel-web spiders to inhabit.

## **European mountain**

Wood ants form supercolony to help each other survive the harsh incoming winter on a European mountain.

Strong winds carry seeds and leaves down to the forest floor. Vegetation acumulates on the surface without decaying thanks to the cold, which causes the soil to be hard and poor of nutrition.

Environment becomes more hostile over time, reducing the activity of rove beetles and wolf spiders on the surface.

## **French beach**

Wood ants and black ants establish themselves on the outskirt of a French beach.

Nesting area is far enough from the water that the soil remains dry and coarse, mixed with washed up seashells.

Bindweed vines and samphire plants cover the higher area of the beach in vivid colors. Rosemary plants are infested with aphids.

Rising water brings an abundance of sand fleas and dead sardines to the water's edge. Living sea urchins can sometimes be seen around rock pools.

Large driftwoods keep hermit crabs and wolf spiders away from the heat.

## **Ecuadorian rainforest**

Leafcutter ants settle down in the clearing of an Ecuadorian rainforest. Army ants scour the nearby area, demolish anything in their path.

The forest floor is covered with organic matter coming from the lush vegetation above. The fertile topsoil in turn provides nutrition for thousands of saplings.

Epiphytic vines and large mushrooms attach themselves on the massive trees.

Low bulrushes and butterworts grow sparsely on the higher area of the forest. Scarlet star plants are more abundant near water's edge.

Stalk grass and elephant ear plants provide camouflage for praying mantises and shade for nocturnal whip spiders.

Leafhoppers are commonly spotted resting atop other low vegetation.

## **Green Swamp Preserve**

Fire ants accidentally find themselves in Green Swamp Preserve, far away from their usual habitat. They assert dominance over the swamp by conquering the local little black ants and big-headed ants.

The soil is always damp and poor of nutrition due to the meandering water. The surface is covered with colorful sphragnum moss and features unique insectivorous plants as a consequence.

Strong winds carry seeds down to the swamp surface. Saplings are infested with insects.

Flash floods occasionally occur and wash away the local critters. Amphibians thrive in this muddy water while dragonflies rule the untouched air.

## **Community screenshots**

Pine trees (by Orion)Bindweed vines and samphire plants (by Antbzk64)Sea urchin and seashells (by NapoleonBonaparteThe1st)Leafhopper (by Fazan008)Butterworts (by Antbzk64)Epiphytic vine and mushrooms (by SlushieChris)Low bulrushes and scarlet star plant (by Owlenstein)Carnivorous plants and pine cones (by Antbzk64)

## **References**

1. ↑ Confirmed by Mike on Discord (5/6/2023).
2. ↑ http://www.slugdisco.com/august-2018-newsletter/
3. ↑ http://www.slugdisco.com/september-2021-newsletter/