Flutterbie family
The flutterbie family is a family of enemies in Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4 and possibly Hey! Pikmin. It consists of small butterfly-like insects that pose no threat to Pikmin or leaders. They merely flutter about, occasionally landing, and aren't worth many seeds or Pokos, but some of them can drop valuable rewards after death: nectar or a spray drop. Their color indicates what they might drop, if anything. In Hey! Pikmin, they can't be interacted with and are not logged, appearing only in cutscenes.
Members of this family belong to the Fenestari genus.
In other languages of the game, the floaterbie family has the same name as the flutterbie family, so it is possible to consider that the two are one and the same, and that the English developers gave a different name to the Electric Spectralid's family for unknown reasons, or perhaps simply due to a mistake.
Members
Red Spectralids
- Main article: Red Spectralids.
Scientific name: Fenestari russoprismatus
The Red Spectralids appears in the Garden of Hope and a few Mission Mode stages. Upon defeat, it releases a drop of ultra-spicy spray.
White Spectralids
- Main article: White Spectralids.
Scientific name: Fenestari albaprismatus
White Spectralids are of a color introduced in Pikmin 3. Unlike the remaining Spectralids, these drop no special rewards when defeated, and seeing as they're only worth one Pikmin seed, they're usually more trouble than they are worth. Nevertheless, they appear near the landing site or an Onion, making them useful if the player wants to help grow an army with minimal exploration.
Yellow Spectralids
- Main article: Yellow Spectralids.
Scientific name: Fenestari jaunoprismatus
Yellow Spectralids appear more commonly than Red Spectralids, and upon defeat, they release a drop of nectar. In Hey! Pikmin, it is found just flying forward, as Pikmin chase it. Eventually it flies off screen.
Other Spectralids
In two instances in Hey! Pikmin, some butterfly-like creatures appear in cutscenes. Given their fuzzy body, large legs, and overall similar appearance and behavior, it is likely that they are also members of the flutterbie family, or are at least Spectralids. Since they only appear in cutscenes, it is not possible to know their real family, species, or name.
- In The Burning Sky, there is a Spectralids with yellow and blue wings, and green eyes.
- In Back-and-Forth Road, there is a Spectralids with pale yellow wings, and purple eyes.
In addition, as mentioned previously, the Electric Spectralid's family name in other languages is the same as the flutterbie family, so it is possible to consider that enemy a part of this family.
The Spectralids in The Burning Sky.
The Spectralids in Back-and-Forth Road.
Naming
- See also: Flitterbie family#Naming.
The family's name is a play on a letter swap of the word "butterfly" ("flutterby") – "flutter" meaning "to flap rapidly". Many of the names used for these creatures are similar to the ones used by the Unmarked Spectralids; see here for details.
To note is that, similarly to the Unmarked Spectralids, every time the creatures are referred to in singular, "Spectralids" is used as opposed to "Spectralid" – unlike Pikmin 2, there are sentences that explicitly use the singular form. The Electric Spectralid is the only creature to break this mold.
The genus Fenestari is by the Unmarked Spectralids, referring to the Latin word fenestra, meaning "window". This is a mistake, as members of the same genus cannot be in separate families in real-world taxonomy. Additionally, in Pikmin 3 Deluxe, this family had two genera names: Fenestari for White Spectralids and Yellow Spectralids, and Fenestrati for Red Spectralids. Fenestrati appears to be a typo as the Red Spectralids were fixed to also belong to the Fenestari genus in Pikmin 4.
All members of this family have the suffix -prismatus at the end of their species names. Prismatus is derived from "prism", a reference to how triangular prisms can disperse light in a colorful rainbow, similar to the color variety found amongst Spectralids. It also references the species name of the Unmarked Spectralids, which is simply prismatus.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
イエシジミ科? Ie Shijimi Ka |
House lycaenid family | It is the same name as the Floaterbie family |
 Chinese(traditional) |
家蜆蝶科 | ||
 French |
papilloptères | Butterflyptera | The name is a portmanteau of "papillon" (butterfly) and the suffix "-ptère" (-ptera, used in taxonomy) It is also the same name as the Floaterbie family |
 German |
Schweberich | Floater | "schweben" means to float while "-rich" is a suffix which may imply it to be male. It is the same name as the Floaterbie family |
 Italian |
Voltalidi | It is the same name as the Floaterbie family | |
 Korean |
집바지락나비 과 | It is not the same name as the Floaterbie family, the Korean name for it is 집바지락 과 | |
 Portuguese |
Panapanídeos | Butterflidae | The name is a portmanteau of "panapaná" (Tupi term for "flock of butterflies") and the suffix "-ídeos" (-idae), which is used for naming animal family names |
 Spanish |
Flotáridos | Floatidae | The name is a portmanteau of "flotar" (float) and the suffix "-idos" (-idae), which is used for naming animal family names It is also the same name as the Floaterbie family |
