Bulborb Larva

Bulborb Larva
Appears in	Pikmin 2, Pikmin 4
Scientific name	Oculus bambinii (Pikmin 2); Oculus kageyamii larva (premolt) (Pikmin 4)
Family	Grub-dog
Areas	Sun-Speckled Terrace (night), Blossoming Arcadia (night), Primordial Thicket (night)
Caves	Frontier Cavern, Hole of Heroes, Burrow of Beginnings, Cradle of the Beast, Cavern for a King
Challenge Mode stages	Emperor's Realm
Dandori Challenge stages	Trial of the Sage Leaf
Dandori Battle stages	None
2-Player Battle stages	None
Attacks	Eat Pikmin

The Bulborb Larva (ベビーチャッピー^?, lit.: "Baby Chappy") is an enemy in Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 4. As the name would imply, Bulborb Larvae are juvenile Bulborbs. They have the typical beige snout of Bulborbs, but their behind is white with only a dab of red on the very end. A small, pointy appendage can be seen below the red spot, its use is unknown; it could be some form of tail, or an umbilical cord. Given that they are young, their size isn't much larger than that of a leader. They are the true juvenile grub-dogs, as Dwarf Bulborbs are members of the breadbug family and merely imitate Bulborbs. They are hard to kill in swarms, but have low health. Bulborb larvae are infamous for their ability to quickly kill Pikmin: the creature's bite is fast and fatal. However, the small creatures can be destroyed with one punch from a leader, so it is considered more effective to keep Pikmin away from the Larvae and attack with Olimar and his partner.

Bulborb Larvae are continuously born from certain Empress Bulblaxes. Only 50 can be on the sublevel at once, and once that cap is reached, the Empress falls asleep; it will reawaken once only 25 or less are alive and start producing more. If the Empress is woken up via Pikmin attacks it will also not begin to produce more until there are 25 or less left. The Empress' rolling attack can also crush these enemies, making it useful to clear out a large amount of Larvae.

Upon reaching their first molt, Bulborb Larvae metamorphose into Albino Dwarf Bulborb.

Stats

Game	Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health	Regen.
	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	5	No
	N/A	N/A	N/A (0 glow pellets)	N/A	1	No

Behavior

Right as soon as they are born, the Larvae squeal and begin being active right away. They crawl along the floor, pursuing the closest leader in a straight line, and actually ignoring any Pikmin. This can be used to the player's advantage, by having one leader serve as bait. If it gets close to a leader or Pikmin, it will bite down, quickly and deadly. If it gets a Pikmin, it will chew on it for a very short amount of time. Although it can only eat one Pikmin at a time, the speed at which they feast and the sheer number of them can be devastating for an army of Pikmin. Moreover, unless the player uses an ultra-bitter spray, the creature does not release the Pikmin it is eating, which means the Pikmin cannot be saved even if the creature is supposed to be dead. The members of the Mandiblard family have a similar behavior, in Pikmin. Upon dying, it will melt away, and eventually disappear; one out of every five times, the Bulborb Larva will leave behind nectar. If a Purple Pikmin does the final blow, green mucus will splat out on the ground, and the creature will be shown dying more agonizingly.

Locations

Pikmin 2

Since these larvae can only spawn from certain Empress Bulblaxes, they cannot be found in any place without one.

Story Mode

Frontier Cavern, sublevel 8
Hole of Heroes, sublevel 11

Challenge Mode

Emperor's Realm, sublevel 4

Pikmin 4

Bulborb Larvae are more common than they were in Pikmin 2. Outside battles with an Empress Bulblax, many larvae either roam freely in groups or spawn infinitely from dirt-mounds until the mounds are destroyed.

Areas

Sun-Speckled Terrace: There are four Bulborb Larva nests during the Meandering Slope night expedition.
Blossoming Arcadia: There are two larva nests during the Misshapen Pond night expedition.
Primordial Thicket: There are two larva nests during The Sylvan Gate night expedition.

Caves

Burrow of Beginnings, sublevel 1
Cradle of the Beast, sublevel 3: Larvae are spawned infinitely from an Empress Bulblax. There are also some freely roaming specimens in the corridor leading to the boss arena.
Cavern for a King, sublevel 17: Larvae fall from the ceiling each time the Empress Bulblax rolls.

Dandori Challenges

Trial of the Sage Leaf: Story 7, "One Fell Jump", contains freely roaming Bulborb Larvae. Story 10, "The Purple Key", contains one larva nest.

Strategy

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

Although the larvae have quick bites, their health is rather low. A single punch from a leader is enough to kill a larva. After defeat, it has a 1 in 5 chance of dropping nectar.

In Pikmin 4, Bulborb Larvae may spawn from certain dirt mounds. These mounds will continually produce Larvae until they are excavated, requiring the player to clear out the larvae long enough for the Pikmin to remove the mound.

Pikmin

The best way to kill a Larva with a Pikmin is to use Purple Pikmin. Purple Pikmin are capable of stunning and even killing a large group of Larvae. While eaten Pikmin can be saved by killing the creature before it finishes chewing, Bulborb Larvae are infamous for the small size of this time window, so attacking them with a leader instead is recommended.

A different strategy is to stun them with about three or four Purples, then call them back and throw a lot of Pikmin on the mother. If done quickly enough, it will roll over its larva, killing them.

It is not recommended to use Yellow Pikmin to defeat Bulborb Larva due to Yellow Pikmin's high trajectory when thrown; the Pikmin may miss the enemy and it may be too late to whistle them back. Red and Blue Pikmin may also be an unwise choice due to lower speed. White Pikmin are a better choice for speed, and in case the Bulborb Larva eats the Pikmin, their poison will at least finish them off.

Another way is to get the Pikmin you do not need and try to kill them by swarming, though this method is not recommended as it can cause a lot of fatalities.

In Pikmin 4, if the player is using Rock Pikmin to beat the Empress Bulblax while it is producing larvae, the Rock Pikmin can prove surprisingly effective against these creatures. Rock Pikmin dealing damage immediately means a larva has no time to eat an attacking Rock Pikmin, then the Rock Pikmin will tumble back often acting as a natural dodge if it ends up tumbling away from the larvae. Rock Pikmin can also attack the Empress on the side she is rolling without fearing death, allowing them to stay on the side with less larvae. This fact proves extra effective in Cavern for a King.

To note is that you should be careful with the pools of nectar, seeing that if a non-flower Pikmin touches one, it will drink it and become vulnerable until it is done.

Leaders

A single punch from a leader is sufficient to kill a Bulborb Larva. Caution is advised, though, as they may still sneak in a bite as they are dying. The Rocket Fist, found in the same dungeon as the first encounter with the larvae can be used to kill many of them at once due to its range increase on the third strike.

A tactic that can be used in the later Empress Bulblax battles is to allow several dozen Larvae to be born, then attack the Empress so it can roll around the cavern. As this happens, almost every single Larva will be killed, releasing a number of pools of nectar for the Pikmin. In the second battle inside the Frontier Cavern, the larvae can be trapped in a ledge where the Research Pod is by baiting them, and after the Empress is dead, a leader can go down and defeat all of the larvae, resulting in many nectar pools. One strategy in killing the Empress is to have one leader, hopefully one that has full health, distract its larvae near its rear end while the other leader attacks it from the front.

Another suggestion is to let it give birth to several, lead them into a corner, and keep punching them one by one to receive up to 20 drops of nectar. You should do this with a leader at full health.

Alternate

It is also possible to kill them using the Empress Bulblax herself, by standing in the hollow in front of it (as there always is), hurting the boss until it is forced to roll over, and letting it kill the larvae.

Notes

Olimar's notes

“As its name implies, this creature is a bulborb in an early stage of development. Its distinct bulborb coloration has yet to appear, but it already exhibits other uniquely bulborb characteristics. It is capable of hunting nourishment independently without the help of its parents.”

Louie's notes

“This meager creature offers little meat, but its eyeballs are a local delicacy. Try them with okra and a dollop of sour cream!”

Dalmo's notes

“A toddling infant that anyone would love. With the body and delicate skin of a newborn, this cute little button is sensitive to all stimuli. Whatever you do around it must be done slowly, gently, and quietly. As adorable as this baby is, you might be tempted to embrace it. But don't! You could squish the fragile darling.”

Olimar's notes (Pikmin 4)

“As its name implies, this creature is a Bulborb in an early stage of development. Its distinct Bulborb coloration has yet to appear, but it already exhibits other uniquely Bulborb characteristics. It is capable of hunting nourishment independently without the help of its parents.”

Louie's notes (Pikmin 4)

“This meager creature offers little meat, but its eyeballs are a local delicacy. Try them with okra and a dollop of sour cream!”

Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide

“The offspring of the Empress Bulblax are small but hungry. They can swallow Pikmin whole. If you have to attack Bulborb Larvae with Pikmin, toss your troops and aim for the critters' backs. If one of your spacemen can go it alone, punch them for a quick defeat.”

Technical information

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			`baby`
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	0.05
s004	bounceFactor	Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?)	0.3
fp00	ライフ	HP	5
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	15
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?)	0.1
fp06	速度	Move speed	40
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.05
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	300
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	30
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	75
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	800
fp13	視界角度	FOV	180
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	0
fp15	探索角度	Unknown (exploration angle?)	0
fp16	振り払い率	Successful shake rate	1
fp17	振り払い力	Shake knockback	150
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	1
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	0
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	30
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	45
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	30
fp23	攻撃ヒット角度	Unknown (attack hit angle?)	45
fp24	攻撃力	Attack damage	2
fp25	視界高	Unknown (height visibility?)	50
fp26	探索高	Unknown (exploration height?)	0
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?)	0
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	0
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	500
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	20
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	10
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	200
ip02	振り払い張付１	Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement	100
ip03	振り払い打撃Ｂ	Shake mode 2 – hit count	200
ip04	振り払い張付２	Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement	100
ip05	振り払い打撃Ｃ	Shake mode 3 – hit count	200
ip06	振り払い張付３	Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement	100
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Shake mode 4 – hit count	200
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	白ピクミン	White Pikmin poison damage	300
fp11	蜜出し確率	Chance of dropping nectar	0.2 (20%)

Other information

Size: Body length: 26mm, as per the e-card
Pikmin 2 Piklopedia number: #9
Pikmin 4 Piklopedia number: #13

Naming

See more: Grub-dog family#Naming.

Common name: Bulborb Larva. The creature's name is due to the fact that it is an undeveloped larva of a mature Bulborb: it's missing most of its limbs and defining physical characteristics.
Japanese nickname: ベビーチャッピー^?, lit.: "Baby Chappy". Chappy is the Japanese name for Bulborb.
Japanese name: デメマダラ^?, lit.: "Spotted Bug-eye".
Scientific name: Oculus kageyamii larva (premolt). Oculus kageyamii is the scientific name for the Bulborb species. Prior to Pikmin 4, the Bulborb Larva's scientific name was instead Oculus bambinii. Bambinii is Italian for "children".
Internal names: Internally, it is called baby, over the Japanese name.
Prerelease: None.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ベビーチャッピー^? Bebī Chappī	Baby Chappy	"Chappy" is the Japanese name for Bulborb
Chinese (traditional)	寶寶恰比 Bǎobao Qiàbǐ	Baby Chappy	"Qiàbǐ" is the Chinese (traditional) name for Bulborb
Chinese (simplified)	宝宝恰比 Bǎobao Qiàbǐ	Baby Chappy	"Qiàbǐ" is the Chinese (simplified) name for Bulborb
Dutch	Bulborblarve	Bulborb larva
French	Larve de Bulborbe Larve de bulborbe (Pikmin 4)	Bulborb Larva Bulborb larva (Pikmin 4)	"Bulborbe" is the French name for Bulborb
German	Punktkäfer-Larve	Dot Beetle Larva	"Punktkäfer" is the German name for Bulborb
Italian	Coletolarva	Coleto larva	"Coleto" may come from "boletus" (Latin for mushroom), as a bulborb's spots resemble those found on certain mushrooms "Coleto" is the Italian name for both Bulborb and Bulbear
Korean	애벌레차피 (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) 베이비차피 (Pikmin 4) Aebeolle-Chapi Beibi-Chapi	Larva Chappy (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) Baby Chappy (Pikmin 4)	"Chapi" is the Korean name for Bulborb
Portuguese	Larva de bulbolho	Bulbeye larva	"Bulbolho" is a portmanteau of "bulbo" (bulb) and "olho" (eye) "Bulbolho" is the Brazilian Portuguese name for Bulborb
Spanish	Larva de bulbo	Bulb larva	"Bulbo" is the Spanish name for Bulborb

Gallery

Pikmin 2

Artwork of the Bulborb Larva.
The model of the Bulborb Larva.
A group of Bulborb Larvae.
Olimar being followed by a group of Bulborb Larvae.
Several Bulborb Larvae in the Piklopedia.
A Bulborb Larva attacking a White Pikmin.
A Bulborb Larva dying from an attack.
A Bulborb Larva being petrified.
The Piklopedia icon of the Bulborb Larva in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.

Pikmin 4

Bulborb Larvae, alongside their mother.
A defeated Bulborb Larva in the Piklopedia just before disintegrating into slime.

Other

The Bulborb Larva's e-card, #09 (6^th yellow card).

Trivia

Bulborb Larva do not have an animation for standing still in Pikmin 2. When viewed from out of their detection range they'll use their walking animation, appearing to endlessly wriggle in place.
In Pikmin 2, the model for Bulborb Larva does not have a texture file. Instead, the model uses vertex colors.
Prior to Pikmin 4, its scientific name (Oculus bambinii) indicated that it did not belong to the same species as its progenitor, the Empress Bulblax (Oculus matriarcha). Unfortunately, its new name (Oculus kageyamii) is still a misnomer, lacking the subspecies classification (Oculus kageyamii matriarcha) the Empress Bulblax is under.
- Although, since Bulborb Larva are not exclusively born from the Empress Bulblax in Pikmin 4, it can be implied that each larva's subspecies is specifically unclassified given that Olimar mentions that the features that would distinguish the different Bulborb subspecies do not appear until the second molt.
With only 5 health points, Bulborb Larvae have the least amount of health of any enemy in Pikmin 2. In Pikmin 4, it has even less, only having one single point of HP.