Snowswallow family
The snowswallow family is a family of moth-like creatures introduced in Pikmin 4. It contains only one member, the Snowfake Fluttertail. All members of this family belong to the Papilifictus genus.
Members
Snowfake Fluttertail
- Main article: Snowfake Fluttertail.
Scientific name: Papilifictus nivedae
The Snowflake Fluttertail is a boss found in the Frozen Inferno in Pikmin 4. They resemble a yellow moth that has an ice coating that covers up most of its body. They also have a spiralled proboscis that they use to grab frozen Pikmin to eat. The Snowflake Fluttertail also has two blue antenna and four wings of the same color. They blow ice onto Pikmin to freeze them, then they use their proboscis to grab them. A fire starter must be used to melt the ice coating it has protecting itself before it can be damaged.
Naming
The family's name, snowswallow, is made up of two words, snow and swallow. Snow refers to the Snowfake Fluttertail using ice to both protect itself and freeze prey. Swallow could also be a reference to the real swallowtail butterfly as Olimar mentions their similar appearance in his notes.
The family genus, Papilifictus, is derived from Papilio, a real genus of swallowtail butterflies and fictus, Latin for fake, referencing how the Snowfake Fluttertail is said to "mimic a type of swallowtail butterfly" and is actually more closely related to moths.
Names in other languages
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| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
ユキミノガ科? Yuki minoga ka |
Snow bagworm moth family | |
 French |
camoufloptères | The name is a portmanteau of "camouflage" (camouflage) and the suffix "-ptère" (-ptera) | |
 German |
Schneepanzer-Motten | Snow shell-Moths | |
 Korean |
눈도롱이나방 과 nundorong-inabang gwa |
||
 Portuguese |
Pteronixídeos | The name is a portmanteau of the prefix "ptero-" (ptero-), the Latin word "nix" (snow) and suffix "-ídeos" (-idae), which is used for naming animal family names | |
 Spanish |
Traganívedos | Swallowsnows | Based on the verb for "to swallow" (tragar) rather than the word used to name the bird and the butterfly (golondrina). |
