Swooping Snitchbug
The Swooping Snitchbug (サライムシ?, lit.: "Kidnapping Bug") is a enemy found in the main four Pikmin games and Hey! Pikmin. Swooping Snitchbugs are legless, round, flying insects that have evolved wing-like antennae as a means of locomotion. They swoop down, as their name suggests, and grab their prey with their claws – a maximum of two at once. After carrying them for a few seconds, they violently throw them towards the ground. This action would harm most prey, whereas Pikmin are simply replanted and reverted to their original leaf stage in the first two games (in Pikmin 3, their maturity remains the same). They are also able to pick up the leaders in Pikmin 3, much like Bumbling Snitchbugs do in Pikmin 2 – if they don't escape, they will be tossed to the ground and damaged.
These creatures will plummet to the ground if weighed down by a sufficient number of Pikmin, or with a single Purple Pikmin in Pikmin 2 or a single Rock Pikmin in Pikmin 3. This renders it susceptible to further attack. Ultra-bitter sprays may also be used to freeze it in mid-air, causing it to drop to the ground, which is arguably easier, but of course produces no corpse, and may be considered a waste of sprays.
Should the enemy throw a Yellow Pikmin that is holding a bomb-rock in Pikmin, the bomb-rock will explode, killing the Yellow Pikmin, all Pikmin caught in the blast, and likely itself, too. In Pikmin 3, it will carry the bomb rock and not the Pikmin, and throwing the bomb-rock merely activates it instead of causing an immediate explosion. Although the creature is not as interested in killing Pikmin as much as it is chucking them, it may end up throwing a Pikmin at a hazard.
In Pikmin, it can and will grab Pikmin from the leader's hand, if the captain is holding on to it before throwing, but in Pikmin 2, it will ignore any held Pikmin; it can still steal it from the hand if it began swooping prior to the grab, however. In Pikmin 3, every time it dives, it randomly chooses to catch Pikmin or leaders, and if it chooses the former, it will never succeed in grabbing a held Pikmin. If it snatches two Pikmin in a single dive, the way it throws them will also differ between games – in Pikmin, it will throw one Pikmin first, fly around some more, and then throw the second one, but in Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3, it will throw both of them at once. In Hey! Pikmin, they will attempt to swoop straight down, grab Pikmin, and fly back up without coming back again, counting as a death to the player's Pikmin. They are incredibly rare in this game, as only a few appear, in Olimar's Madcap Ride.
In Pikmin, it only appears in The Forest of Hope on day 15 and forward, and in The Distant Spring on day 5 and forward.
Stats[edit]
The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Hey! Pikmin. |
Game | Weight | Max. carriers |
Seeds | Value | Health | Regen. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | 6 | 4 | N/A | 2000 | Unknown | |
3 | 6 | 4 | × 4 | 1500 | No | |
(?) | 3 | 6 (normally) | 4 | × 30 × 30 |
1000[note 1] | No |
3 | 6 | 4 | × 3 | 1000 | No | |
N/A | N/A | N/A | × 0 | No |
- ^ In the Garden of Hope Remix, its HP is 500.
Appearance[edit]
In Pikmin, they have a brown body with a green moss like tint on some parts and green lines in between the parts of their "exoskeleton". They also have a golden head with antennae that go from yellow to orange. In this game they have more fluid flight movement, tilting when turning.
In Pikmin 2, the green tint is removed with the green lines also being less noticeable, and the head is also now also a pale green and the antennae now go from green to yellow to orange.
In Pikmin 3, the creature is now a light yellowish green with a texture not too dissimilar to the exoskeleton of some beetles. Their antennae have also changed to a yellow to brown gradient. They also gained more realistic compound eyes compared to the glass-like eyes with pupils from Pikmin and Pikmin 2. They also will attempt to crawl away when swarmed by Pikmin on the ground.
In Hey! Pikmin, the body is now a much darker green with the head and arms being a pale yellow and their lower arms also now resemble the Bumbling Snitchbug's arms in shape, their antennae have once again changed color to orange to a dark maroonish red, and they also return to having the less realistic eyes from Pikmin and Pikmin 2 but are missing the red to yellow gradient that they have in every other game.
Behavior[edit]
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Locations[edit]
Strategy[edit]
The following article or section contains guides. |
Pikmin[edit]
These creatures can easily be brought to the ground by weighing it down with five or so Pikmin. Yellows are the best option to weigh it down, because their high reach makes it easier to hit it. Afterwards, a simple swarm can defeat it. If the Snitchbug captures a Yellow Pikmin holding a bomb, it will explode while it is in the air. Oddly, by whistling at the Pikmin while it's coming down after being thrown by the creature, there is a chance that the Pikmin will simply react to the whistle and join Olimar's group like normal, instead of being buried.
Pikmin 2[edit]
The same strategy from Pikmin can be applied here. Alternatively, throwing a single Purple Pikmin onto it will weigh it down right away. Be warned, as on sublevels with abysses, the Snitchbug can throw Pikmin down the pit. The Snitchbug is much less of a threat in this game, even less so if one has a Pluckaphone. Though one could leave at least one Purple to deal with them, it is advised to not do so on metallic sublevels, as there are often bombs on those sublevels.
Pikmin 3[edit]
In Pikmin 3, like in all of the other games, around 5 Pikmin are able to weigh the Swooping Snitchbug down, making it easy to defeat. It's recommended to use Yellow Pikmin to weigh it down, as their throwing height ensures it will land on the Swooping Snitchbug, and the Snitchbug can fly higher in this game. If you have a reasonable amount of Winged Pikmin, swarming it will be sure to weigh it down. A direct hit from a Rock Pikmin will bring the Swooping Snitchbug down too, similar to how throwing one Purple Pikmin on it will weigh it down in Pikmin 2.
Pikmin 4[edit]
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The same strategies from all three games can be applied here. Additionally, if a Swooping Snitchbug grabs at least one Purple Pikmin, it will lift them up before immediately collapsing on the ground; the same thing happens if the player had knocked it out of the air mid-combat.
Notes
Reel notes
Olimar's notes
Louie's notes
Alph's comments
“Structural flaw: weak hide
Weight: 3
Brittany's comments
Charlie's comments
Louie's comments
Olimar's comments
“Swooping Snitchbug
Scarpanica kesperens
Scarpanid family
“Swooping Snitchbug
Scarpanica kesperens
Scarpanid family
Hey! Pikmin logs
Dalmo's notes[edit]
Olimar's notes (Pikmin 4)[edit]
“The Scarpanids originally lived on the ground, sporting poorly developed vestigial wings. This species developed enlarged antennae that can be used as makeshift wings.
Scarpanids are attracted by the sight of large groups of Pikmin in cavalry formation and will swoop down to seize them. However, Scarpanids do not eat Pikmin, and they will drop any seized Pikmin after a short time.
The reason for this behavior is unknown, but I look forward to future research in the area.”Louie's notes (Pikmin 4)[edit]
Pikmin Nintendo Player's Guide[edit]
“The scarpanids originally lived on the ground with poorly developed vestigial wings. This species developed enlarged antennae that can be used as functioning wings. Scarpanids are attracted by the sight of large groups of Pikmin in cavalry formation and will swoop down to seize them. However, scarpanids do not eat Pikmin, and they will drop any seized Pikmin after a short time. The reason for this activity is as yet unknown, but I look forward to future research in the area.”
“The annoying swooping snitchbug will appear in the Forest of Hope (between Days 15 and 30) and the Distant Spring. In both regions, the bug will snatch up Pikmin and replant them. If a swooping snitchbug flies by, force it to land by tossing Pikmin at it. When it comes crashing down, surround it with Pikmin.”
Pikmin Nintendo Power booklet[edit]
Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide[edit]
“Much like the Mamuta, the Swooping Snitchbug does not defeat Pikmin; it pummels them into the ground. The creature grabs two Pikmin at a time and throws them with tremendous force. Knock it down with a few tosses, then swarm it.”
New Play Control! Pikmin European website[edit]
“The two-armed flying pest follows your posse, swoops down, grabs two unsuspecting Pikmin and then plants them back into the ground. This bug must be dealt with immediately, knocking it out of the sky and then swarming it until it says good-bye.”
Pikmin 3 Prima Guide[edit]
“A Swooping Snitchbug attacks by snatching its enemies and throwing them to the ground. when a Swooping Snitchbug does this to a Pikmin, the force is enough to bury its victim – this essentially causes the Pikmin to revert to a sprout.
When you encounter a Swooping Snitchbug, use your Winged Pikmin to attack the creature until it falls to the ground, then use your squad to finish the vulnerable enemy. If you don't have any Winged Pikmin, just wait for the Swooping Snitchbug to stop moving before you attack with whatever Pikmin are available.”Pikmin Garden[edit]
Text
“大きな触角で空を飛び、ピクミンを連れ去る虫。体の表面は薄い層がたくさん重なっていて、光を複雑に反射し緑色に輝く構造色となっている。
特徴 その1 さらう
- 大きく発達した触角を羽ばたかせて飛行し、上空から襲いかかってピクミンをさらっていく。
- (Image text:
- 肥大化した触角
- 鋭い爪に引っかける)
特徴 その2 地面に埋める
- さらったピクミンは、食べずに投げ捨てる。一説では、花を咲かせて、そのミツを吸うためと考えられている。
- (Image text: ピクミンは地面に埋まる)”
Translation
“A bug that flies through the air with large antennae and takes Pikmin away. The surface of its body is made up of many thin layers overlaid on top of each other, intricately reflecting light and giving it a shining green iridescence.
Feature #1: Snatching
- It flies by flapping its large, well-developed antennae, and swoops down from the air to snatch up Pikmin.
- (Image text:
- "Hypertrophic antennae"
- "It catches with sharp claws")
Feature #2: Burying in the ground
- Snatched Pikmin are thrown away without being eaten. One theory is that it makes the flowers bloom and feeds on their nectar.
- (Image text: "Pikmin are buried in the ground")”
Glitches[edit]
To do: Add to the glitches article. |
There is a rare glitch in Pikmin: once you've knocked the Swooping Snitchbug down to the ground, throw your Pikmin onto the creature and swarm it with all of the other Pikmin, which should kill it. Then, carry it back to the Onions by swarming the corpse. Later, you will notice the Pikmin you threw on the squirming Swooping Snitchbug are floating in the air, making the attacking motion as if they are attacking something invisible.
In Pikmin 2, the probability that a Snitchbug will shake off Pikmin increases with the number of Pikmin that are latched onto it. This is likely unintended, as this results in Snitchbugs being harder to take down as more Pikmin are latched onto it, which is counterintuitive. Additionally, in Pikmin this mechanic works in reverse, where the probability for a snitchbug to shake decreases with the number of Pikmin on it, which further implies its implementation in Pikmin 2 was done incorrectly and was changed unintentioanlly.
A second glitch in Pikmin 2 relates to when a Snitchbug grabs a Purple Pikmin. If a Pikmin of any type is thrown onto the Snitchbug while it is still holding a Purple Pikmin, the game will treat the incoming Pikmin as a Purple Pikmin and cause the Snitchbug to guarantee falling down to the ground instead of shaking. This is because the game cannot distinguish between Pikmin attacking the Snitchbug and ones it has in its hand when checking if a Purple Pikmin is latched on.
In the Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
The creature appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Brawl trophy[edit]
Description: | ||
How to obtain: Random appearance. | Type: Fighter Related |
Smash 4 trophy[edit]
US description:
“A strange flying insectoid creature from the Pikmin series. Much like a fly rubbing its legs together, the Swooping Snitchbug has a habit of rubbing its hands. When it swoops down and snatches Pikmin from the ground, it doesn't eat them. Instead, it discards them after a few seconds. Why? Who knows?! Who cares?! They're free! | |||
EU description:
“A strange flying insectoid creature from the Pikmin series. Much like a fly rubbing its legs together, the Swooping Snitchbug has a habit of rubbing its hands. When it swoops down and snatches Pikmin from the ground, it doesn't eat them. Instead, it just throws them back to the ground after a few seconds. Why? Who knows?! | |||
How to obtain: Random appearance. | Type: Series Related | Trophy Box: 61. Distant Planet & Indigenous Creatures |
Technical information[edit]
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Other information[edit]
- Technical name in The Official Nintendo Player's Guide: Scarpanid
- Size: Body length: 30mm, as per the e-card
- Pikmin 2 Piklopedia number: #31
- Pikmin 4 Piklopedia number: #34
- This enemy triggers the Auto Target Lock note in the Rescue Journal
Naming[edit]
- See more: Scarpanid family#Naming.
- Common name: Swooping Snitchbug. "Swooping" refers to how it swoops down to catch prey.
- Japanese nickname: サライムシ?, lit.: "Kidnapping Bug".
- Japanese name: テナガドウガネサライムシ?, lit.: "Long-armed Cupreous Chafer Kidnapping Bug".
- Scientific name: Scarpanica kesperens. It is made up of two unknown words.
- Internal names: Internally, it is known as
napkid
in Pikmin, which is likely a misspelling of "kidnap", which in turn is part of the translation of its Japanese name. In Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, and Hey! Pikmin, it is calledsarai
instead, the first word of its Japanese name. In Hey! Pikmin, its generator name isenemy_snatcher
, referring to its ability to snatch Pikmin. - Prerelease: None.
Names in other languages[edit]
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Japanese | サライムシ? Sarai Mushi |
Snatch Bug | |
Chinese (traditional) |
猛奪蟲 Měng Duó Chóng |
Abrupt Snatch Bug | |
Chinese (simplified) |
猛夺虫 Měng Duó Chóng |
Abrupt Snatch Bug | |
Dutch | Duikende graaivlieg | Swooping graspfly | |
French | Piquépille | Swooplunder | The name comes from "pique et pille" (swoop and plunder) |
German | Flatternder Piknapper | Fluttering Piknapper | The name is a play on "Pikmin" and "Kidnapper" |
Italian | Dittero ladro | Thief dipterum | |
Korean | 납치벌레 Napchi-Beolle |
Abduction Bug | |
Portuguese | Mutuca raptora (Pikmin 4) | Kidnapper horsefly (Pikmin 4) | |
Portuguese (NoE) | Snitchbug Predador | Predator Snitchbug | Name taken from a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS |
Spanish | Moscardón quinqui (Pikmin 3) Moscardón ladrón (Pikmin 1 + Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch), Pikmin 4) |
Delinquent bumblebee Thief bumblebee |
Gallery[edit]
This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly: |
Pikmin[edit]
A Swooping Snitchbug in the enemy reel.
Pikmin 2[edit]
A Swooping Snitchbug breaking out from being petrified.
A Swooping Snitchbug in the Piklopedia.
The Piklopedia icon of the Swooping Snitchbug in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.
Pikmin 3[edit]
A Swooping Snitchbug in the Distant Tundra.
A Swooping Snitchbug throwing Alph.
A Swooping Snitchbug rubbing its hands after tossing Captain Charlie into the ground.
A Swooping Snitchbug being attacked from behind by Yellow Pikmin in the Tropical Forest.
Pikmin 4[edit]
The Swooping Snitchbug's Piklopedia icon.
A Swooping Snitchbug under attack by a group of Yellow Pikmin.
A Swooping Snithcbug holding Rock Pikmin in the Subterranean Swarm.
A Swooping Snitchbug dropping Bomb rocks in the Subterranean Swarm.
A Swooping Snithcbug in the Aerial Incinerator.
A single Purple Pikmin weighing down a Swooping Snitchbug.
Hey! Pikmin[edit]
A Swooping Snitchbug in the cutscene in Olimar's Madcap Ride.
The Swooping Snitchbug in the Creature Log.
Other[edit]
The Swooping Snitchbug's e-card, #35 (9th blue card).
Trivia[edit]
To do: Determine whether or not the Snitchbug can catch Pikmin midair in Pikmin and Pikmin 3, and update the corresponding trivia point regarding Pikmin 2 if needed. |
- When idle, the Swooping Snitchbug rubs its hands together, similar to a fly. This can also be seen with the Bumbling Snitchbug.
- Swooping Snitchbugs and Mamutas are the only ways one can see a burrowed Bulbmin.
- In Pikmin and Pikmin 2, when Pikmin are grabbed, their squeal is the same as if they got bitten, but it is a different sound in Pikmin 3.
- In Pikmin 3, if a Pikmin lays down a bomb rock, there is a chance the Swooping Snitchbug will grab the bomb rock. It will then explode in its hands, killing it.
- The position of the Swooping Snitchbug in the enemy reel, which is otherwise alphabetized, indicates that the creature's name may originally have started with the letter "f". This was fixed in the Switch port.
- In Pikmin 2, it is possible for the Swooping Snitchbug to capture Pikmin mid-air.
- Also in Pikmin 2, Pikmin held by a Swooping Snitchbug can not die from bomb rock explosions.
- In Pikmin 2, if there are 99 Pikmin buried in the same area or sublevel, it will be impossible for a Swooping Snitchbug to bury the 100th Pikmin. That Pikmin will simply stay idle.[1].
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ YouTube video showing it is impossible for a Swooping Snitchbug to bury more than 99 Pikmin
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- Pikmin 1
- Pikmin 2
- Pikmin 3
- Pikmin 4
- Hey! Pikmin
- Scarpanid family
- Pikmin 1 enemies
- Pikmin 2 enemies
- Pikmin 3 enemies
- Pikmin 4 enemies
- Hey! Pikmin enemies
- Harmless enemies
- Airborne enemies
- Pikmin-altering enemies
- The Forest of Hope
- The Distant Spring
- Perplexing Pool
- Wistful Wild
- Subterranean Complex
- Frontier Cavern
- Snagret Hole
- Citadel of Spiders
- Cavern of Chaos
- Hole of Heroes
- Tropical Wilds
- Distant Tundra
- Formidable Oak
- Blossoming Arcadia
- Subterranean Swarm
- Lushlife Murk
- Super Smash Bros. series
- Pikmin 2 Challenge Mode
- Mission Mode
- Side Stories
- Bingo Battle
- Dandori Challenge
- Olimar's Shipwreck Tale