Insectoids

See also: Infestation

These giant insect-like creatures live underground and burrow up to attack when attracted by noise or pheromone signals. Originally from the planet Sorne, interstellar entrepreneurs managed to capture, genetically-modify, and vat-grow the insect colonies for use as weapons. It's not clear who placed Sorne insects on this planet, but they are here and as dangerous as ever.
— Faction description

Insectoids are an ecosystem of genetically engineered insect-like animals that function, in part, like a permanently hostile faction. The insectoids that populate this faction are slow-moving, melee-only animals that are themselves are not always automatically hostile to colonists, but can be a serious surprise threat to any colony when encountered during an infestation.

Megascarab

A large, genetically-engineered beetle. Once the worker caste of an artificial ecosystem of insectoids designed to fight mechanoid invasions, it is now often seen without its deadlier insectoid cousins. Still, its size and hard shell make it dangerous when it attacks. A eusocial creature, it cannot reproduce individually.

Megascarab cocoon

A stasis cocoon containing a megascarab.
When conditions are inhospitable, insects sometimes form stasis cocoons and burrow underground. These cocoons keep insects safe from fire, extreme temperatures, and other threats for years.
Pollutants can stimulate cocoons and cause them to resurface, and strong pollutants can attract cocoons from great distances.
Cocoons do nothing if they are not disturbed. If a cocoon is disturbed or destroyed, the insect within will awaken and attack, triggering other nearby cocoons in the process.

Megaspider

Not actually a spider, the megaspider is a genetically-engineered giant insectoid the size of a bear. Designed for heavy work and combat, its thick chitinous armor makes it hard to kill, while its long ripper-blades make it deadly at close quarters. It is, however, quite slow in open terrain.

Megaspider cocoon

A stasis cocoon containing a megaspider.
When conditions are inhospitable, insects sometimes form stasis cocoons and burrow underground. These cocoons keep insects safe from fire, extreme temperatures, and other threats for years.
Pollutants can stimulate cocoons and cause them to resurface, and strong pollutants can attract cocoons from great distances.
Cocoons do nothing if they are not disturbed. If a cocoon is disturbed or destroyed, the insect within will awaken and attack, triggering other nearby cocoons in the process.

Spelopede

A medium-sized bioengineered insectoid the size of a sheep. The spelopede is the middle caste of a hive, taking care of most work tasks as well as fighting with its digging claws. It's dangerous in combat, but slow on open ground.

Spelopede cocoon

A stasis cocoon containing a spelopede.
When conditions are inhospitable, insects sometimes form stasis cocoons and burrow underground. These cocoons keep insects safe from fire, extreme temperatures, and other threats for years.
Pollutants can stimulate cocoons and cause them to resurface, and strong pollutants can attract cocoons from great distances.
Cocoons do nothing if they are not disturbed. If a cocoon is disturbed or destroyed, the insect within will awaken and attack, triggering other nearby cocoons in the process.

Summary

Insectoids from Infestation attack after triggering old trap

Insectoids are animals. Uniquely, insectoids experience hypothermic slowdown instead of hypothermia. They have 0 Toxic Sensitivity, rendering them immune to toxic buildup from any source. When butchered, they give insect meat, which is disgusting for humans to eat.

As part of an infestation, they are a "faction" that is hostile to every other faction in the world. They will mantain hives, which, if left untampered with, will produce more insectoids - as well as insect jelly. Hostile insectoids may also be found in ancient structures and the ancient cryptosleep caskets inside them. Unlike other raiders, and because they are animals, insectoids don't have any ranged attacks. However, their decent armor and sheer mass of their force make them extreme threats if not handled properly.

Infestations that don't see enemies may be "triggered" via hostile actions, such as mortars or traps. Once triggered, they'll rush towards a random direction up to 100 tiles away, attempting to find other hostiles. Any tile they use to sleep will reset their range. They move slowly, attack directly and mindlessly, so are vulnerable to to more sophisticated tactics like kiting. Insectoids will mine through walls and rock.

Megascarabs may be found in the wild in the desert or extreme desert biomes, where they are not hostile until attacked. All insectoids may be tamed, but the others will always start hostile, it is a very difficult task which often requires downing them.