Ant or other insect - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ similar note here

2026-05-18T08:15:08Z

‎Variants: similar note here

Umbire the Phantom: slash'em, slashthem, note for monster class grouping

2026-05-18T08:14:12Z

slash'em, slashthem, note for monster class grouping

Umbire the Phantom: *dnh

2026-05-14T19:43:09Z

*dnh

Umbire the Phantom: /* Common traits */ word choice

2026-05-14T19:34:20Z

‎Common traits: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: and the monster class should be wholly squared away now!

2026-05-14T19:33:41Z

and the monster class should be wholly squared away now!

Umbire the Phantom: reorganize in advance of nh5 updating pass

2026-05-14T18:07:38Z

reorganize in advance of nh5 updating pass

Umbire the Phantom: upcoming

2025-12-13T02:49:46Z

upcoming

Umbire the Phantom: copyedit + tocright for style

2025-12-13T02:19:39Z

copyedit + tocright for style

Umbire the Phantom: reorg

2025-05-21T14:32:56Z

reorg

Umbire the Phantom: /* Generation */ punc

2025-01-02T23:07:41Z

‎Generation: punc

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 ==Variants==
 ''NetHack'' [[variant]]s based on NetHack 3.6.7 and previous versions may or may not retain the chance of instant death occurring from the poison attacks of insects, as well as the ability to cure attribute damage with a unicorn horn.
 ===SLASH'EM===
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 Blunt weapons deal +2 damage against ants and other insects, while [[fly swatter]]s and other paddle weapons have +2 [[to-hit]] and +99 damage bonuses against them.
 The ant or other insect is the first quest monster class for [[Chef]]s, and makes up {{frac|24|175}} of the monsters that are randomly generated on the [[Chef quest]].
 ==References==

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 Ants and insects are are [[neutral]]-aligned [[animal]]s that have [[limb]]s, but no [[hand]]s. They are [[carnivorous]] with the exception of both types of [[bee]], and are also [[oviparous]] with the exception of the giant beetle. Ants and other insects attack with [[Bite attack|bites]] or [[Sting attack|stings]], some of which can inflict [[strength]]-draining [[poison]], and mostly lack any [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] (with the fire ant being the only exception at a meager 10 MR). Their [[corpse]]s grant very little [[nutrition]], and while most of them can provide useful [[poison resistance]], those corpses will also be poisonous themselves.
-As centipedes and spiders are arthropods but not insects, those monsters are instead part of the [[arachnid or centipede]] monster class, {{white|s}}. Fantastic insects such as the [[xan]] constitute [[Xan or other mythical/fantastic insect|their own monster class]].
+Centipedes and spiders are grouped into the [[arachnid or centipede]] monster class, {{white|s}}, as they are arthropods but not considered insects (though [[NetHack is not real life]], so do not always take this categorization for granted). Wholly-fantastic insects such as the [[xan]] constitute [[Xan or other mythical/fantastic insect|their own monster class]].
 ===Generation===
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 ===SLASH'EM===
-[[SLASH'EM]] adds several monsters to the monster class:
+[[SLASH'EM]] adds many monsters to the monster class:
-* {{darkgray|a}} [[assassin bug]]
+* {{gray|a}} [[giant tick]]
 * {{gray|a}} [[giant flea]]
 * {{gray|a}} [[giant louse]]
-* {{gray|a}} [[giant tick]]
+* {{green|a}} [[tsetse fly]]
 * {{green|a}} [[migo drone]]
-* {{magenta|a}} [[migo queen]]
+* {{yellow|a}} [[yellow jacket]]
 * {{yellow|a}} [[migo warrior]]
-* {{monsymlink|snow ant}}
+* {{darkgray|a}} [[giant wasp]]
 * {{brown|a}} [[spitting beetle]]
-* {{green|a}} [[tsetse fly]]
+* {{magenta|a}} [[Migo queen (SLASH'EM)|migo queen]]
-* {{yellow|a}} [[yellow jacket]]
+* {{darkgray|a}} [[assassin bug]]
 ===SporkHack===
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 If the [[summon insects]] monster spell is cast by [[Lolth (EvilHack)|Lolth]] or a [[Drow (monster attribute)|drow]] monster, they will summon [[arachnid or centipede]] monsters instead of insects.
 ==References==

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 * {{monsymlink|locust}}
 * {{monsymlink|snow ant}}
 ===EvilHack===

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 Ants and insects are are [[neutral]]-aligned [[animal]]s that have [[limb]]s, but no [[hand]]s. They are [[carnivorous]] with the exception of both types of [[bee]], and are also [[oviparous]] with the exception of the giant beetle. Ants and other insects attack with [[Bite attack|bites]] or [[Sting attack|stings]], some of which can inflict [[strength]]-draining [[poison]], and mostly lack any [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] (with the fire ant being the only exception at a meager 10 MR). Their [[corpse]]s grant very little [[nutrition]], and while most of them can provide useful [[poison resistance]], those corpses will also be poisonous themselves.
-Centipedes and spiders are arthropods but not insects, and are instead part of the [[arachnid or centipede]] monster class, {{white|s}}. Fantastic insects such as the [[xan]] constitute [[Xan or other mythical/fantastic insect|their own monster class]].
+As centipedes and spiders are arthropods but not insects, those monsters are instead part of the [[arachnid or centipede]] monster class, {{white|s}}. Fantastic insects such as the [[xan]] constitute [[Xan or other mythical/fantastic insect|their own monster class]].
 ===Generation===

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 {{tocright}}
-The '''ant or other insect''' is a [[monster class]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]'', and is represented by the lowercase [[a]] glyph ({{white|a}}). Ants and insects are designated internally by the macro <code>'''S_ANT'''</code>.{{refsrc|include/monsym.h|15|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
+The '''ant or other insect''' is a [[monster class]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]'', and is represented by the lowercase [[a]] glyph ({{white|a}}). Ants and insects are designated internally by the macro <tt>'''S_ANT'''</tt>.{{refsrc|include/defsym.h|295|nethack=5.0.0}}
-The monster class contains the following monsters:{{refsrc|src/monst.c|106|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
+The monster class contains the following monsters:{{refsrc|include/monsters.h|87|nethack=5.0.0}}
 * {{monsymlink|giant ant}}
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 ==Common traits==
-Ants and insects are are [[neutral]]-aligned [[animal]]s that have [[limb]]s, but no [[hand]]s. They are [[carnivorous]] with the exception of both types of [[bee]], and are also [[oviparous]] with the exception of the giant beetle. Ants and other insects attack with [[Bite attack|bites]] or [[Sting attack|stings]] and mostly lack any [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]], with the fire ant being the only exception at a meager 10 MR.
+Ants and insects are are [[neutral]]-aligned [[animal]]s that have [[limb]]s, but no [[hand]]s. They are [[carnivorous]] with the exception of both types of [[bee]], and are also [[oviparous]] with the exception of the giant beetle. Ants and other insects attack with [[Bite attack|bites]] or [[Sting attack|stings]], some of which can inflict [[strength]]-draining [[poison]], and mostly lack any [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] (with the fire ant being the only exception at a meager 10 MR). Their [[corpse]]s grant very little [[nutrition]], and while most of them can provide useful [[poison resistance]], those corpses will also be poisonous themselves.
 Centipedes and spiders are arthropods but not insects, and are instead part of the [[arachnid or centipede]] monster class, {{white|s}}. Fantastic insects such as the [[xan]] constitute [[Xan or other mythical/fantastic insect|their own monster class]].
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 Randomly generated ants and insects monsters are always created hostile.
-The clerical [[monster spell]] [[summon insects]] will generate ants and insects unless the monster class is [[extinct]] or wiped out by [[genocide]], in which case [[Snake (monster class)|snakes]] are generated instead.{{refsrc|src/mcastu.c|589|nethack=3.6.7}}
+The clerical [[monster spell]] [[summon insects]] will generate ants and insects unless the monster class is [[extinct]] or wiped out by [[genocide]], in which case [[Snake (monster class)|snakes]] are generated instead.{{refsrc|src/mcastu.c|649-L651|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|src/mcastu.c|676|nethack=5.0.0}}
 The ant or other insect is the first [[quest]] monster class for [[Valkyrie]]s, and makes up {{frac|24|175}} of the monsters that are randomly generated on the [[Valkyrie quest]]. Random ants and other insects may also be generated on floors below the home level of this quest branch at level creation: one is generated on each of the upper filler level, the lower filler level(s) and the locate level, and two are generated on the goal level.
 ==Strategy==
-Most of the insect monsters (particularly the ants) have high [[speed]] along with attacks that are [[poisonous]] and/or decently strong, making them early-game menaces&mdash;their movement speed also makes their attacks overall tough to contend with. The soldier ant in particular is infamous for being a frequent source of [[YASD|game-ending stings]] even with more experienced players if [[poison resistance]] is not obtained by the time they appear: even ''with'' poison resistance, their attack frequency can easily cut into a hero's HP, and their [[AC]] often makes them hard to kill in return. The giant beetle is the slowest of the group in contrast, with a movement speed of 6 and the weakest AC at 4, but their bite is the strongest of the monster class and makes melee combat similarly risky.
+Most of the insect monsters (particularly the ants) have high [[speed]] along with attacks that are decently strong and can sometimes inflict poison, making them early-game menaces that are overall tough to contend with. The soldier ant in particular is infamous for being a frequent source of [[YASD|game-ending stings]] even with more experienced players, and are dreaded encounters if [[poison resistance]] is not obtained by the time they appear: even ''with'' poison resistance, their attack frequency can easily cut into a hero's HP, and their [[AC]] often makes them hard to kill in return. The giant beetle is the slowest of the group in contrast, with a movement speed of 6 and the weakest AC at 4, and it cannot inflict poison through its attacks&mdash;however, their bite is the strongest of the monster class and makes melee combat similarly risky.
-[[Elbereth]] is useful in driving off aggressive insects, and their low MR score makes them very vulnerable to [[spell]]s, [[wand]]s and [[potion]]s. Genocide is usually unnecessary to deal with any of the monsters, unless a hero is trapped with giant ants or soldier ants and lacks most other means of escaping or defeating them. Once a hero gains poison resistance along with enough quality equipment and/or weapon skill to reliably dispatch ants and bees, they will usually not be a problem for the rest of the game unless the hero becomes careless.
+Even if a hero is not outright killed from severe poison damage, the attribute loss usually warrants finding a cure as soon as possible: successful prayer, [[potions of restore ability]], and the {{+ of|restore ability}} spell are methods that can restore attributes lost to poison. This also makes it imperative to find and identify a poison resistance source as well, since while one poisoned sting from an insect monster will not always put the hero under, the HP damage and possible attribute loss from multiple stings back to back is liable to leave a hero that survives in dire straits.
-The summon insects spell is typically not seen until near the end stages of the game (e.g. hostile priests in [[Moloch's Sanctum]] and on the [[Astral Plane]]), when the insects generated by the spell are generally a nuisance at worst that get between you and attacking the hostile caster in question. Incidentally, this can also serve as a form of "cushion" between you and much stronger hostiles, with the exception of the [[Riders]].
+[[Elbereth]] is useful in driving off aggressive insects, and their low MR score makes them very vulnerable to [[spell]]s, [[wand]]s and [[potion]]s. {{+ of|Chain lightning}} is an ideal spell for handling insect swarms. While genocide is usually unnecessary to deal with any of the monsters, ants and insects are usually a valid "emergency" target if they have the hero trapped with few other means of escaping or defeating them. A [[tinning kit]] can be used on poisonous corpses in order to make them safe to eat and potentially gain poison resistance. Once a hero gains poison resistance along with enough quality equipment and/or weapon skill to reliably dispatch ants and bees, they will usually not be a problem for the rest of the game unless the hero becomes careless.
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|47724f01374300151a4900939407259c79b14c62}}, the killer bee's [[Monster difficulty|difficulty]] is increased to 6 while the soldier ant's difficulty is increased to 7. Additionally, per {{commit|d0b11fd2c05dae5ebc7a3ff6425257e6ed372894}}, poison does not causes instant death, but still results in significant damage to maximum HP and attributes.
+The summon insects spell is typically not seen until near the end stages of the game (e.g. hostile priests in [[Moloch's Sanctum]] and on the [[Astral Plane]]), when the insects generated by the spell are generally a nuisance at worst that get between you and attacking the hostile caster in question. Incidentally, this can also serve as a limited form of "cushion" between you and much stronger hostiles, with the exception of the [[Riders]]: due to slower [[HP regeneration]] at higher [[experience level]]s it may be best not to idle (even with the [[Regeneration (property)|regeneration]] property), unless you have a method of healing yourself thoroughly and need the time and space to apply it reliably. Similarly, they can also provide a vector for chain lightning spells, although the amount of hostiles a hero will be facing in late-game situations where insects are summoned means that significant power drain will usually occur&mdash;heroes conserving their energy for other spells should treat this as a form of last resort.
-Overall, this makes it somewhat less likely in theory for an inexperienced or unfortunate player to be outright killed by poison when encountering soldier ants and killer bees in particular. However, the damage inflicted in place of an instant death can be severe enough to kill a hero regardless, and per {{commit|43d331c4ebe7bcd30a7cab7d4228957e283584c2}}, unicorn horns cannot restore lost attributes&mdash;this means the hero will be more reliant on [[potions of restore ability]] or successful [[prayer]] to deal with strength loss and similar problems. Poison resistance is still important to obtain even if poison is not as likely to be lethal, and the changes to monster difficulty can grant heroes more time to find and/or identify sources.}}
+==History==
 ==Variants==
 ===SLASH'EM===
 [[SLASH'EM]] adds several monsters to the monster class:
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 ==References==
 <references/>
-{{nethack-367}}
+{{nethack-500}}
 [[Category:Monster classes]]

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 The monster class contains the following monsters:{{refsrc|src/monst.c|106|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 * {{monsymlink|soldier ant}}
 * {{monsymlink|fire ant}}
 * {{monsymlink|giant beetle}}
 * {{monsymlink|queen bee}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:49, 13 December 2025
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	The summon insects spell is typically not seen until near the end stages of the game (e.g. hostile priests in [[Moloch's Sanctum]] and on the [[Astral Plane]]), when the insects generated by the spell are generally a nuisance at worst that get between you and attacking the hostile caster in question. Incidentally, this can also serve as a form of "cushion" between you and much stronger hostiles, with the exception of the [[Riders]].		The summon insects spell is typically not seen until near the end stages of the game (e.g. hostile priests in [[Moloch's Sanctum]] and on the [[Astral Plane]]), when the insects generated by the spell are generally a nuisance at worst that get between you and attacking the hostile caster in question. Incidentally, this can also serve as a form of "cushion" between you and much stronger hostiles, with the exception of the [[Riders]].
		+
		+	{{upcoming\|NetHack 3.7.0\|Per {{commit\|47724f01374300151a4900939407259c79b14c62}}, the killer bee's [[Monster difficulty\|difficulty]] is increased to 6 while the soldier ant's difficulty is increased to 7. Additionally, per {{commit\|d0b11fd2c05dae5ebc7a3ff6425257e6ed372894}}, poison does not causes instant death, but still results in significant damage to maximum HP and attributes.
		+
		+	Overall, this makes it somewhat less likely in theory for an inexperienced or unfortunate player to be outright killed by poison when encountering soldier ants and killer bees in particular. However, the damage inflicted in place of an instant death can be severe enough to kill a hero regardless, and per {{commit\|43d331c4ebe7bcd30a7cab7d4228957e283584c2}}, unicorn horns cannot restore lost attributes—this means the hero will be more reliant on [[potions of restore ability]] or successful [[prayer]] to deal with strength loss and similar problems. Poison resistance is still important to obtain even if poison is not as likely to be lethal, and the changes to monster difficulty can grant heroes more time to find and/or identify sources.}}

	==Variants==		==Variants==

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 The clerical [[monster spell]] [[summon insects]] will generate ants and insects unless the monster class is [[extinct]] or [[genocide]]d, in which case [[Snake (monster class)|snakes]] are generated instead.{{refsrc|src/mcastu.c|589|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
-The ant or other insect is the first [[quest]] monster class for [[Valkyrie]]s, and make up {{frac|24|175}} of the monsters that are randomly generated on the [[Valkyrie quest]]. Ants and other insects may also be generated on floors below the home level of the quest branch at level creation: one is generated on each of the upper filler level, the lower filler level(s), and the locate level, and two are generated on the goal level.
+The ant or other insect is the first [[quest]] monster class for [[Valkyrie]]s, and make up {{frac|24|175}} of the monsters that are randomly generated on the [[Valkyrie quest]]. Ants and other insects may also be generated on floors below the home level of the quest branch at level creation: one is generated on each of the upper filler level, the lower filler level(s) and the locate level, and two are generated on the goal level.
 ==Strategy==