Swooping Snitchbug
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| Appears in | Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, Hey! Pikmin | ||
| Scientific name | Scarpanica kesperens | ||
| Family | Scarpanid | ||
| Areas | The Forest of Hope, The Distant Spring, Perplexing Pool, Wistful Wild, Tropical Wilds, Distant Tundra, Formidable Oak, Olimar's Madcap Ride | ||
| Caves | Subterranean Complex, Frontier Cavern, Snagret Hole, Citadel of Spiders, Cavern of Chaos, Hole of Heroes | ||
| Challenge Mode stages | Abduction Den | ||
| Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages | Twilight Hollow, Twilight Hollow Remix, The Rustyard | ||
| Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages | Tropical Forest, Tropical Wilds Remix, Garden of Hope Remix, Distant Tundra Remix, Clockwork Chasm | ||
| Side Story days | Creature Hunting, Land, Sea, and Sky, Looking for Louie, Another Part Found | ||
| 2-Player Battle stages | None | ||
| Bingo Battle stages | Stagnant Sea | ||
| Attacks |  : Kidnap and throw Pikmin  : Kidnap and throw Pikmin  : Kidnap and throw Pikmin and leaders  : Kidnap Pikmin and drag them off screen
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The Swooping Snitchbug (サライムシ?, lit.: "Kidnapping Bug") is a creature found in the main three Pikmin games and Hey! Pikmin. They 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
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The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Hey! Pikmin. |
| Game | Weight | Max. carriers |
Seeds | Value | Health | Regen. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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3 | 6 | 4 | N/A | 2000 | Unknown |
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3 | 6 | 4 |  × 4
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1500 | No |
 (?)
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3 | 6 (normally) | 4 |  × 30 × 30
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1000[note 1] | No |
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N/A | N/A | N/A |  × 0
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No |
- ^ In the Garden of Hope Remix, its HP is 500.
Appearance
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 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.
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.
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
Pikmin Nintendo Player's Guide
“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 2 Nintendo Player's Guide
“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
“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
“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.”Strategy
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The following article or section contains guides. |
Pikmin
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
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. It is advised to not use Purples on metallic sublevels, as there are often bombs on those sublevels.
Pikmin 3
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.
Glitch
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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 the Super Smash Bros. series
The creature appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Brawl trophy
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Description:
“A member of the scarpanid family. Although originally a ground dweller, its oversized antennae developed into wings, allowing it to fly around freely. The snitchbug doesn't eat Pikmin, but rather picks them up, carries them away, and firmly replants them in another location.
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| How to obtain: Random appearance. | Type: Fighter Related | |
Smash 4 trophy
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 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!
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 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?!
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| How to obtain: Random appearance. | Type: Series Related | Trophy Box: 61. Distant Planet & Indigenous Creatures | |
Technical information
| Pikmin technical information (?) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal name | napkid
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| HP | 2000 | ||
| Pikmin 2 technical information (?) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal name | sarai
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| Global properties (List) | |||
| ID | Japanese comment | Property | Value |
| s000 | friction(not used) | Friction | 0.5 |
| s001 | wallReflection | Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?) | 0.5 |
| s002 | faceDirAdjust | Unknown | 0.25 |
| s003 | accel | Acceleration | 0.1 |
| s004 | bounceFactor | Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?) | 0.3 |
| fp00 | ライフ | HP | 1500 |
| fp01 | マップとの当り | Unknown (related to slopes) | 17.5 |
| fp02 | ダメージスケールXZ | Horizontal damage scale | 0.2 |
| fp03 | ダメージスケールY | Vertical damage scale | 0.25 |
| fp04 | ダメージフレーム | Damage scale duration | 0.35 |
| fp05 | 質量 | Unknown (weight?) | 0.01 |
| fp06 | 速度 | Move speed | 80 |
| fp08 | 回転速度率 | Rotation acceleration | 0.1 |
| fp09 | テリトリー | Territory radius | 300 |
| fp10 | ホーム範囲 | "Home" radius | 200 |
| fp11 | プライベート距離 | "Private" radius | 50 |
| fp12 | 視界距離 | Sight radius | 200 |
| fp13 | 視界角度 | FOV | 90 |
| fp14 | 探索距離 | Unknown (exploration radius?) | 200 |
| fp15 | 探索角度 | Unknown (exploration angle?) | 120 |
| fp16 | 振り払い率 | Successful shake rate | 1 |
| fp17 | 振り払い力 | Shake knockback | 80 |
| fp18 | 振り払いダメージ | Shake damage | 1 |
| fp19 | 振り払い範囲 | Shake range | 120 |
| fp20 | 攻撃可能範囲 | Unknown (shock attack max range?) | 70 |
| fp21 | 攻撃可能角度 | Unknown (shock attack max angle?) | 15 |
| fp22 | 攻撃ヒット範囲 | Unknown (attack hit range?) | 70 |
| fp23 | 攻撃ヒット角度 | Unknown (attack hit angle?) | 15 |
| fp24 | 攻撃力 | Attack damage | 10 |
| fp25 | 視界高 | Unknown (height visibility?) | 50 |
| fp26 | 探索高 | Unknown (exploration height?) | 50 |
| fp27 | ライフの高さ | HP wheel height | 50 |
| fp28 | 回転最大速度 | Rotation speed | 10 |
| fp29 | 警戒時間 | Unknown (warning time?) | 15 |
| fp30 | 警戒ライフ | Unknown | 100 |
| fp31 | ライフ回復率 | Regeneration rate | 0 |
| fp32 | LOD半径 | Off-camera radius | 60 |
| fp33 | マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定 | Collision processing radius | 35 |
| fp34 | ピクミンとのあたり | Pikmin damage radius | 15 |
| fp35 | 石化時間 | Petrification duration | 1 |
| fp36 | ヒップドロップダメージ | Purple Pikmin drop damage | 50 |
| fp37 | 地震気絶確立 | Purple Pikmin stun chance | 0.3 (30%) |
| fp38 | 地震気絶時間 | Purple Pikmin stun time | 5 |
| ip01 | 振り払い打撃Ａ | Shake mode 1 – hit count | 5 |
| ip02 | 振り払い張付１ | Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement | 3 |
| ip03 | 振り払い打撃Ｂ | Shake mode 2 – hit count | 10 |
| ip04 | 振り払い張付２ | Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement | 8 |
| ip05 | 振り払い打撃Ｃ | Shake mode 3 – hit count | 15 |
| ip06 | 振り払い張付３ | Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement | 15 |
| ip07 | 振り払い打撃Ｄ | Shake mode 4 – hit count | 20 |
| Specific properties | |||
| ID | Japanese comment | Property | Value |
| fp01 | 通常飛行高さ | Unknown (normal flight height?) | 85 |
| fp02 | 掴み飛行高さ | Unknown (flight height while holding?) | 70 |
| fp03 | 状態遷移高さ | Unknown | 50 |
| fp04 | 通常移動速度 | Unknown (normal movement speed?) | 80 |
| fp05 | 掴み移動速度 | Unknown (swooping movement speed?) | 70 |
| fp06 | ウェイト時間 | Unknown (time between swoops?) | 3 |
| fp11 | 上昇係数(0) | Unknown | 4 |
| fp12 | 上昇係数(5) | Unknown | 0.3 |
| fp21 | 振払確率(1) | Unknown | 0.8 |
| fp22 | 振払確率(5) | Unknown (time spent struggling on the ground?) | 0.8 |
| fp23 | もがき時間 | Unknown | 1 |
| fp31 | ハント下降係数 | Unknown | 0.3 |
| fp32 | ハント後減衰率 | Unknown | 0.95 |
| fp41 | Fall Meck 速度 | Unknown | 330 |
| Pikmin 3 technical information (?) | |
|---|---|
| Internal name | sarai
|
| HP | 1000 |
| Rock Pikmin throw hits to kill | 15 |
| White Pikmin ingestions to kill | 0 |
| Bomb rock explosions to kill | 1 |
| Bomb rock ingestions to kill | 0 |
| Number of direct hits on top to kill | 0 |
| Damage to leaders | 0 |
| Territory radius | 200 |
| Mission Mode value | 30 |
Other information
- Technical name in The Official Nintendo Player's Guide: Scarpanid
- Size: Body length: 30mm, as per the e-card
- Pikmin 2 Piklopedia number: #31
Naming
- 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
napkidin Pikmin, which is likely a misspelling of "kidnap", which in turn is part of the translation of its Japanese name. In Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3, it is calledsaraiinstead, the first word of its Japanese name. - Prerelease: On the enemy reel of Pikmin, the Swooping Snitchbug's clip plays between the Fiery Blowhog and the Goolix's clips. The enemy reel is otherwise sorted alphabetically, and because of this, and due to a lot of the clips hinting to the fact that the enemy reel was made a bit early during development, it is possible that before the game's release, the Swooping Snitchbug had a name that started with "Flying".
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
サライムシ? Sarai Mushi |
Kidnapping Bug | |
 Chinese(traditional) |
猛奪蟲 | ||
 Dutch |
Duikende graaivlieg | Swooping graspfly | |
 French |
Piquépille | From pique et pille (swoop and plunder) | |
 German |
Flatternder Piknapper | Fluttering Piknapper (play on Pikmin-Kidnapper) | |
 Italian |
Dittero ladro | Thief dipterum | |
 Korean |
납치벌레 Napchi bulle |
Kidnapping bug | |
 Portuguese (NoE) |
Snitchbug Predador | Predator Snitchbug | Name taken from the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophy. |
 Spanish |
Moscardón quinqui | Delinquent bumblebee |
Gallery
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This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly: |
Concept artwork in Pikmin.
Artwork of a Swooping Snitchbug carrying Pikmin from Pikmin.
A Swooping Snitchbug in Pikmin.
A Swooping Snitchbug's corpse in Pikmin.
A Swooping Snitchbug breaking out from being petrified, in the Perplexing Pool.
A Swooping Snitchbug in the Piklopedia of Pikmin 2.
A Swooping Snitchbug in the enemy reel.
A drawing of a Swooping Snitchbug from the Pikmin Official Player's Guide.
A Swooping Snitchbug being attacked by some Winged Pikmin in Pikmin 3.
One of the Swooping Snitchbugs in Distant Tundra in Pikmin 3 Deluxe.
- Kidnapper.PNG
A Swooping Snitchbug being attacked from behind by Yellow Pikmin in Mission Mode (Battle enemies!).
A close-up of a dead Swooping Snitchbug.
A Swooping Snitchbug in Pikmin 3 holding Charlie.
A Swooping Snitchbug throwing Alph.
The creature's e-card, #35 (9th blue card).
The data file on the Swooping Snitchbug.
A Swooping Snitchbug rubbing its hands after tossing Captain Charlie into the ground. Note that there's another Swooping Snitchbug.
Two Swooping Snitchbugs swooping downward in Hey! Pikmin.
A Swooping Snitchbug in the cutscene in Olimar's Madcap Ride.
In the Creature Log.
Trivia
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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 word "flying".
- In Pikmin 2, it is possible for the Swooping Snitchbug to capture Pikmin mid-air.
See also
- Pikmin 1
- Pikmin 2
- Pikmin 3
- Hey! Pikmin
- Scarpanid family
- Pikmin 1 enemies
- Pikmin 2 enemies
- Pikmin 3 enemies
- Hey! Pikmin enemies
- Harmless enemies
- Airborne enemies
- Pikmin-altering enemies
- The Forest of Hope
- The Distant Spring
- Perplexing Pool
- Wistful Wild
- Tropical Wilds
- Distant Tundra
- Formidable Oak
- Lushlife Murk
- Subterranean Complex
- Frontier Cavern
- Snagret Hole
- Citadel of Spiders
- Cavern of Chaos
- Hole of Heroes
- 2-Player Battle
- Pikmin 2 Challenge Mode
- Mission Mode
- Bingo Battle
- Super Smash Bros. series