Supercolony

Two supercolonies of Argentine ants share a border near Lake Hodges in San Diego County: the Very Large Colony, which runs most of coastal California, and the Lake Hodges Colony. Workers from each smell like enemies to the other. Scientists began mapping the front in 2004. It runs for miles, the fighting never stops, and about thirty million ants die on it every year. Only rain brings a ceasefire.

You are one worker. When you die, you become another.

Four theatres on a live map of Lake Hodges

• The Hodges Line: 1.4 m of lakeshore, six sectors, hundreds of ants.
• Aphid Stem: HQ, aphid herd, HQ. Take the stem to open their base.
• Nest Raid: breach an enemy nest and kill its queens.
• Soda Spill: carry sugar from a leaking can back to your nest.

How ants fight here. Ants grapple, and two biters pin an enemy, so stay with your squad. Spray repellent to break free, lay alarm pheromone to call nestmates, and switch to scent vision to see who is who.

Real San Diego time and weather. The map and the battlefield use the current time, sun angle and weather at Lake Hodges. When it rains there, it rains here.

Controls

• Desktop: WASD to move, mouse to look, click to bite, F spray, R alarm, Q pick up, Tab scent vision, M redeploy.
• Phones and tablets: on-screen controls in landscape.

Notes

• Based on published field observations of Argentine ant supercolonies in San Diego.
• Numbers, speeds and timescales are compressed for play.