Note: Not 100% accurate, but I've tried to keep it accurate with a lot information from the Piklopedia~.
Bulborb
Intro
Bulborb (Oculus kageyammi russus), previously known as the Spotty Bulborb or Red Bulborb are large nocturnal predators. They are prominent modern members of the planet PNF-404 and are a part of the Grub-dog family. More than 3 subspecies of the Oculus kageyammi have been found on the planet, with the Bulborb being the original species these other subspecies have evolved from. This is why the creature has a third name, russus to differentiate it from the other organisms. The Bulborb is known to have 3 stages of development; a Bulborb Larva (Oculus kageyamii larva (pre-molt)), an Albino Dwarf Bulborb (Oculus kageyamii larva (1st molt)) and then the Bulborb.
The Bulborb is the most commonly found member of the family Grub-Dog, and is further distinguished from other members of the family by its bright scarlet coloured hide covered with white spots, reminiscent of a ladybird’s backside. General appearance-wise, the Bulborb (along with its variants) has a head which takes up most of its body, two eyes on stalks which are blue in colour - however more eye colours have been spotted such as purple. They also have a pair of legs with 2 toes on each with moderately sized claws. They also have a yellow-hue face with a pair of nostrils and are equipped with a pair of mandibles which hang outside their mouth resembling sabre-like teeth. These mandibles are used for breaking exoskeletons of prey insects and digging through the soil for roots. However, they can support a diet of animals and plants as seen through observation, specifically they have a clear preference for Pikmin and are noted to eat juvenile Bulborbs.
| Taxonomy | Relation |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | [Unknown] |
| Family | Grub-dog |
| Genus | Oculus |
| Species | Kageyammi |
| Subspecies | K. Russus |
Taxonomy
It was first classified as a Spotty Bulborb, until equally spotted variants had been discovered leading to its second name of Red Bulborb. Recently, people have argued that the creature should just be called a Bulborb due to it serving as the original evolutionary point the other variants have evolved from such as the Orange Bulborb or the Hairy Bulborb.
Bulborbs are nocturnal creatures, and will sleep in open locations during the day. This would lead to them being attacked to potential predators but due to their large size and bright colours, there is a distinct lack of Bulborb predators. Bulborbs hunt for insects and Pikmin which are retreating back to their nests/Onions during the early stages of the night. If they are unable to find any insects the Bulborb show distinct anger and begin looking for any vegetation to feed on. Their diet is quite varied and is mostly dependent on the region they are located in, they can feed on shrubs and leaves in hotter climates and vegetables and fern in more colder climates.
Description
The Bulborb is the most commonly found member of the Grub-Dog family, and is further distinguished from other Grub-Dogs by its bright red hide covered in white spots - resembling a ladybird’s - as well as its yellowish head and feet. It has a powerful build, capable of eating multiple critters at once due to its mandibles and feet which are built for standing up at quick speeds. The legs of the Bulborb are built in a way that allows for them to stand up at a moment's notice to enable the creature to attack any potential threats or eat any potential prey. The Bulborb has a distinct lack of ears meaning it can’t hear anything such as a predator or prey which would seem like a disadvantage but due to its bright coloured spots (acting as aposematism) which tends to deter most creatures. The head of the Bulborb is golden-hue which takes up most of its body mass. It comes equipped with a pair of mandibles, which resemble sabre-like teeth, and a pair of eye stalks.
Ecology
Distribution and habitat: Bulborbs can appear in a multitude of environments such as cold tundras or tropical wilds; inside caverns or on the surface. There’s no specific environment where Bulborb can’t be found. The main factor that determines a Bulborb’s environment is whether there’s food for it to eat, which is mainly insects, Pikmin or vegetation. This gives evidence to show that Bulborbs are quite adaptable creatures.
Diet
Similar to other members of the Grub-Dog family, the Bulborb will primarily feed on insects at the early signs of dusk as the insects are returning back to their nests, and Pikmin which are left behind after the Onion heads off into orbit for the night. The Bulborb prefers to eat Pikmin of any kind (even White Pikmin and Ice Pikmin - which negatively affects their health) and would look for Pikmin even before searching for insects. If the Bulborb is unable to locate any of the latter, it will instead opt to eat local vegetation, which depends on its region. The Bulborb specialises in preying on the unsuspecting critters which would be defenceless. Bulborbs in hotter climates would diet on insects such as roaches or ants and can feed on shrubs or leaves from trees. In colder climates they would feed on bugs like termites or cockroaches and eat vegetation such as moss and berries.
Interaction with other creatures
Bulborbs are typically spotted alone, sleeping in its chosen territory so it doesn’t often interact with other creatures, but it has been spotted with a few other creatures. They have been seen sleeping during the day near some Dwarf Bulborbs (Pansarus pseudooculii russus) which is in fact not a juvenile Bulborb but is instead a Breadbug mimic, which survives via mimicry. Due to this mimicking, the Bulborb can be seen protecting them, and has been seen to wake up quickly when a Dwarf Bulborb cries out. However, future sightings have not shown this behaviour.
Bulborbs have also been seen living in close contact with other Grub-Dogs such as the 2 previously mentioned as well as a few more. It is unknown how they find food but it has been proven that a Bulborb will in fact eat true Bulborb larva which could be a method of how they’ve sustained themselves. In some caves, the Bulborb has been spotted cohabiting with other creatures with a similar diet such as Blowhogs which also diet on insects and yet there’s no fighting for territory occurring. It is unknown at this time why this happens, the main theory being that the Bulborbs and Blowhogs diet on specific and/or different insects.
Infections/Disease
The main infection that can be carried by Bulborb are parasitic Pikmin. The parasite favours juvenile Bulborbs (not Dwarf Bulborbs - the Breadbug mimic) and will infect the host to take control of the body. It will sport a stem just like a regular Pikmin, and can mature the same way as regular Pikmin. There is no known way to cure a Bulborb of the parasite as of 25.10.23. Once infected, the Bulborb - which is called a Bulbmin - will start to behave less like a Bulborb and more like a Pikmin, as it follows a leader (which would be the oldest Bulbmin) and will hunt in groups. Since the Bulbmin don’t have an Onion, it’s possible that the adult Bulbmin gives birth to young Bulborbs which are born infected. It should be noted that these types of creatures are only, exclusively found in caves and are unable to leave them which could be due to a multitude of reasons - the main one being that the sun is harmful to them.
Another infection comes from a fungal spore from a Toxstool which either infects a Dwarf Bulborb or a juvenile Bulborb (unknown at this time). The infected Bulborb - referred to as a Moldy Dwarf Bulborb - has a large bulbous growth of fungal matter on its back which is highly poisonous. It changes the Bulborbs colours from its red back and white spots to a light blue back and a more bluer-hue of white spots. As a host, it will unconsciously hunt out more food whilst scattering large quantities of spores from the bulbous sac on its back until it stops functioning. After that, the body will mutate into a fungal culture which, after some time, will form a juvenile Toxstool. Similar infections can be seen with the Pyroclasmic Slooch, which when infected becomes a Moldy Slooch. It should also be noted that if either of the two infected hosts die near a Toxstool, it will spray them with some spores. These spores will 'revive' the creatures.