Antenna Beetle
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Appears in | Pikmin 2 | ||
| Scientific name | Mesmeri raiocontra | ||
| Family | Kettlebug | ||
| Areas | None | ||
| Caves | Snagret Hole, Hole of Heroes, Dream Den | ||
| Challenge Mode stages | None | ||
| 2-Player Battle stages | None | ||
| Attacks | Distract Pikmin, interfere with Treasure Gauge | ||
The Antenna Beetle (カマドフマ?, lit.: "Cave Cricket") is an enemy in Pikmin 2 which distracts Pikmin. Antenna Beetles use their roars to produce sounds of a particular frequency, which interferes with the Treasure Gauge and attracts nearby Pikmin, similar to the whistle. This noise overrides any commands issued by a leader, so the Antenna Beetle can take command of any Pikmin that are nearby, which can indirectly harm Pikmin by leading them into a hazard. The only way to regain control of the Pikmin is to kill the enemy or force it to leap away again.
The enemy periodically jumps high in the air and returns to the ground, stumbling as it lands. It can be prompted to jump again by attacking it or approaching it often. It can be attacked by swarming it as it lands or throwing Pikmin on top of it. If a Pikmin lands on it, it will roll over, not much different from an Anode Beetle. Purple Pikmin may also stun it if thrown on top, preventing it from getting up and jumping away.
The Antenna Beetle is relatively rare, found in only a few caves. The Treasure Gauge fluttering about and flashing a pinkish color is an indication that an Antenna Beetle is on the current sublevel.
Pikmin under its control are immune to most dangers, as they follow the same rules as juvenile Bulbmin when following their mothers. This means that they are ignored by enemies and only killed by crushing and hazards, though explosions will knock them back. The real danger is when the Antenna Beetle hops away and the Pikmin become idle.
Stats[edit]
| Weight | Max. carriers |
Seeds | Value | Health | Regen. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | 5[note 1] |  × 5
|
700 | No |
- ^ This enemy cannot be delivered to Onions in-game. This information is obtained from the game files.
Behavior[edit]
When idle, the Antenna Beetle will quickly roam in unpredictable paths, aimless moving without a fixed territory. It is one of the few wandering enemies in Pikmin 2. As it moves, it will sometimes stop and emit a high-pitched signal, capable of disrupting the Treasure Gauge. This high-pitched signal is also capable of affecting Pikmin behavior, as the sound will cause Pikmin to ignore a leader's whistle and they will instead follow the Antenna Beetle. While the Antenna Beetle doesn't intentionally lead Pikmin away, its unpredictable movement means that the Pikmin could be brought into dangerous areas. Once the Antenna Beetle jumps away, any affected Pikmin will become normal again.
If a leader approaches the Antenna Beetle, it doesn't react and it continues its usual wandering. However, if the Antenna Beetle is attacked, it will attempt to shake off its attackers before making a frantic escape. It escapes by leaping high into the air and landing some distance away – causing it to momentarily stumble. Once the Antenna Beetle has successfully escaped its attacked, it will continue to aimlessly wander around, once again emitting the high-pitched sound.
Locations[edit]
Caves[edit]
- Snagret Hole
- One can be seen on sublevel 5, holding the Emperor Whistle.
- One can be seen on sublevel 6.
- Hole of Heroes
- One can be seen on sublevel 2.
- Dream Den
- One can be seen on sublevel 8.
- One can be seen on sublevel 12.
Strategy[edit]
|
The following article or section contains guides. |
Antenna Beetles are annoying enemies due to their ability to disrupt your control over your Pikmin squad. Before you attack the Antenna Beetle, make sure it has finished its high-pitched whistle as it reduces the likelihood of your Pikmin being controlled.
A good strategy to defeat these Antenna Beetles is to use Purple Pikmin, as they have a chance to stun the creature with their powerful slams. This gives ample time to deal significant damage whilst the beast is stunned. You may even be able to defeat the Antenna Beetle in one fell swoop! However, if this isn't the case, you should be ready to whistle your Pikmin at a moments notice, as the Antenna Beetle will flee after it has successfully shaken off its attackers.
When the Beetle leaps to evade, it will likely cause your Pikmin to scatter. Try to reposition your Purple Pikmin quickly to land another below. If fast enough, you could land another attack before it flees. If the Beetle did escape, simply explore the sublevel to find it once more and attack using this strategy.
It should be noted that if the Antenna Beetle is defeated while there are Pikmin in its squad, the aforementioned Pikmin will panic.
Notes
Olimar's notes
Louie's notes
Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide[edit]
Technical information[edit]
| showPikmin 2 technical information (?) |
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Other information[edit]
- Size: Body length: 40mm, as per the e-card
- Pikmin 2 Piklopedia number: #34
Naming[edit]
- Common name: Antenna Beetle. The creature is called that due to it "whistling" an area around it, perhaps using its antennae, or perhaps because it mimics the way a spacesuit's antenna shakes when a leader is whistling.
- Japanese nickname: カマドフマ?. It is similar to カマドウマ? (lit.: "cave cricket").
- Japanese name: フエフキカマドフマ?, lit.: "Flute Playing Kamadofuma".
- Scientific name: Mesmeri raiocontra. Mesmeri is similar to the English word "mesmerize", and raiocontra could be considered a combination of raio and contra. Raio, in this context, is Portuguese for "beam", and contra is Latin for "counter", maybe referring to how the whistle's "beam" is used to counter the Pikmin's aggressiveness.
- Internal names: Internally, the creature is called
fuefuki, which in Japanese is ふえふき? (lit.: "Flute Player"). - Prerelease: None.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
カマドフマ? Kamadofuma |
Cave Cricket | |
 French |
Scarabée à Antennes | Antenna Beetle | |
 German |
Antennenkäfer | Antenna Beetle | |
 Italian |
Antennottero | Antennapterum | From "antenna" and the suffix "-ttero" (pterum) commonly found in winged bugs |
 Spanish (NoA) |
Escarabajo antenudo | Antenna beetle |
Gallery[edit]
The model of the Antenna Beetle.
The Antenna Beetle in the Piklopedia.
Three Antenna Beetles in the Piklopedia.
An Antenna Beetle attempting to attract Pikmin.
The corpse of an Antenna Beetle.
The Piklopedia icon of the Antenna Beetle in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.
The Antenna Beetle's e-card, #38 (4th yellow card).
Trivia[edit]
- There is an unused image of the Antenna Beetle in the style of 2-Player Battle's roulette icons, implying that at some point in development there may have been a powerup to spawn an Antenna Beetle near the opponent.
- If the Antenna Beetle is killed while Pikmin are in its control, the Pikmin will panic and scream, like Bulbmin when their leading adult is killed.
See also[edit]
| showHarmless enemies |
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| showPikmin 2 enemies |
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