Swooping Snitchbug

Swooping Snitchbug
Appears in	Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, 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
Dandori Challenge stages	None
Dandori Battle stages	None
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

The Swooping Snitchbug (サライムシ^?, lit.: "Kidnapping Bug") is a creature found in the main four 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

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Hey! Pikmin.
Particularly: Find out its health value by looking into the game files.

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
	N/A	N/A	N/A	× 0		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 this game they have much 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.

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

“This rare species uses its antennae as wings.”

Olimar's notes

“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

“Remove the wings, marinate a well-marbled steak for several hours in a chipotle marinade, then charbroil to perfection.”

Alph's comments

“Structural flaw: weak hide
Weight: 3

It's well built to do what it does, which is to capture wandering Pikmin and slam them into the ground. But why does it do that? Form without function isn't very good design in my book. I like to turn the tables and load them down with so many Pikmin they're too heavy to fly. What goes around comes around.”

Brittany's comments

“They're annoying, but I also feel a connection to these huge flying insects. Just like me, they like to bury things in the ground. And just like me, they wander off, forgetting about the seed until someone else comes along to harvest it.”

Charlie's comments

“I could go into my strategies for taking out these things, but...eh, why bother? They're nuisances, not threats. Plucking buried Pikmin is a relaxing activity that gives me time to consider how to tackle critters that can do serious damage.”

Louie's comments

“Remove the wings, marinate a well-marbled steak for several hours in a chipotle marinade, then charbroil to perfection.”

Olimar's comments

US version

“Swooping Snitchbug
Scarpanica kesperens
Scarpanid family

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.”

European version

“Swooping Snitchbug
Scarpanica kesperens
Scarpanid family

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 behaviour is unknown, but I look forward to future research in the area.”

Hey! Pikmin logs

“Their atrophied wings force them to spend most of their time on land, but they do fly on occasion to steal Pikmin.”

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 Nintendo Power booklet

“The annoying snitchbug loves to swoop down from the sky and snatch up unsuspecting Pikmin. Instead of eating them, the bug mysteriously replants the Pikmin in inconvenient locations.”

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

The following article or section contains guides.
The strategies shown are just suggestions.

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

To do: Add to the glitches article.
Care to do so?

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

	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. Pikmin Pikmin 2”
How to obtain: Random appearance.		Type: Fighter Related

Smash 4 trophy

	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! Appears in: Pikmin (12/2001) Pikmin 2 (08/2004)”
	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?! Related Games Pikmin (06/2002) Pikmin 2 (10/2004)”
How to obtain: Random appearance.		Type: Series Related	Trophy Box: 61. Distant Planet & Indigenous Creatures

Technical information

Pikmin technical information (?)
Internal name	`napkid`
HP	2000

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			`sarai`
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	Normal flight height	85
fp02	掴み飛行高さ	Flight height while holding pikmin	70
fp03	状態遷移高さ	Unknown	50
fp04	通常移動速度	Normal movement speed	80
fp05	掴み移動速度	Movement speed while holding pikmin	70
fp06	ウェイト時間	Duration it idles while patrolling	3
fp11	上昇係数(0)	Unknown	4
fp12	上昇係数(5)	Unknown	0.3
fp21	振払確率(1)	Chance pikmin are thrown off instead of taking it down	0.8
fp22	振払確率(5)	Unknown	0.8
fp23	もがき時間	Unknown	1
fp31	ハント下降係数	Determines how far it descends while swooping	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 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 and Pikmin 3, it is called sarai instead, the first word of its Japanese name.
Prerelease: None.

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

This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly:
Add an image of a corpse in Hey! Pikmin.
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Pikmin

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 in the enemy reel.
A drawing of a Swooping Snitchbug from the Pikmin Official Player's Guide.

Pikmin 2

A Swooping Snitchbug breaking out from being petrified, in the Perplexing Pool.
A Swooping Snitchbug in the Piklopedia of Pikmin 2.
The creature's e-card, #35 (9^th blue card).

Pikmin 3

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 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.

Pikmin 4

P4 Swooping Snitchbug.png

A Swooping Snitchbug in Pikmin 4.

Hey! Pikmin

Two Swooping Snitchbugs swooping downward in Hey! Pikmin.
A Swooping Snitchbug in the cutscene in Olimar's Madcap Ride.
In the Creature Log.

Trivia

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.
Care to do so?

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].