>>17061991It's based on an antlion but it isn't an actual insect in the Pokemon world. Just an antlion-like animal that grows up to have a draconic imaginal stage.
>>17062357The reason is actually pretty convoluted. Altaria's JP name, Tyltalis, comes from a star in the Draco constellation (Tyl, or Epsilon Draconis), and the play "The Blue Bird" is the inspiration behind Swablu and Altaria. Tyltyl and Mytyl were the names of the main characters. The English version changed the reference in its name to Altair, but you lose the reason for its dragon typing.
