Joustmite

Joustmite
File:Joustmite.png
Appears in	Pikmin 3
Scientific name	Trilobitins reversa
Family	Burrow-nit
Areas	Distant Tundra
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages	Thirsty Desert
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages	Distant Tundra Remix
Side Story days	Tundra, First Part Found
Bingo Battle stages	None
Attacks	Stab and eat Pikmin

Joustmites (カブリムシ^?, lit.: "Head Insect") are enemies that were first introduced in Pikmin 3. They behave similarly to the Cloaking Burrow-nit, and are closely related to them. They can be seen as an opposite of the Burrow-nit however, as Joustmites shields the front of their body, requiring the Pikmin to attack from behind. Flying variants, known as Flighty Joustmites, also appear in Pikmin 3.

Stats

Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health
7	14 (normally)	6	× 30  × 30	450

Notes

Alph's comments

“Structural flaw: hindquarters
Weight: 7

That shell is as hard as they come, so a frontal charge is no good. (You're liable to get skewered on its needle, anyway.) Try throwing Pikmin so they land on its soft, unprotected hind parts instead. Talk about a design oversight!”

Brittany's comments

“Ever seen a huge face buried in the ground? I have now. At first, I wondered where the rest of it might be. Would we find a buried fist? A buried knee? A buried belly button? Is it good or bad that we never will?”

Charlie's comments

 US version

“This greenish-blue soldier came prepared with a solid offense and defense. There's not so much plating in the rear, but that doesn't matter if you never plan to show the enemy your back. I salute its courage.”

 European version

“This greenish-blue beastie came prepared with a solid offence and defence. There's not so much plating at the back, but that doesn't matter if you never plan to show the enemy your back. I salute its courage.”

Louie's comments

 US version

“To create an elegant canapé with explosive flavor, remove shell and sear meat on both sides. Top with a dab of pesto.”

 European version

“To create an elegant canapé with explosive flavour, remove shell and sear meat on both sides. Top with a dab of pesto.”

Olimar's comments

“Joustmite
Trilobitins reversa
Burrow-nit family

Others within this family wear their shells on their bellies, but this one's shell functions more like a helmet. Its wings have atrophied into uselessness, so instead it burrows beneath the ground and pops out only to pierce prey with its needlelike proboscis and drain their bodily fluids. Larval joustmites remain underground for years, or even decades in some cases.”

Pikmin 3 Prima Guide

“The Joustmite spends most of its time partially buried with its colorful shell protruding from the ground. When it senses nearby prey, this well-armored creature emerges and uses its retractable beak to skewer nearby victims. Rock Pikmin cannot be damaged by the Joustmite's attacks, making them a very good option when facing this enemy. When you're leading a large squad, however, any combination of Pikmin can make short work of this enemy. Approach the Joustmite from the rear and attack the creature's fleshy body until you defeat it.”

Behavior

File:Joustmite stab.png

A Joustmite stabbing two unfortunate Pikmin.

Just like the Cloaking Burrow-nit, the Joustmite hides partially buried in the ground, waiting for unsuspecting prey. Once a group of Pikmin enters the attack range of the enemy, it pops out from under the ground and proceeds to attack the player's Pikmin by attempting to use its long, needle-like proboscis to spear them. If any Pikmin are caught in this attack, they will be held in the air for a brief moment before being eaten. Unlike the Burrow-nit, the Joustmite can capture up to 3 Pikmin with this attack.

It should be noted that Rock Pikmin are immune to its stabbing attacks. The Joustmite can also shake off Pikmin, which also shakes its loose carapace. The enemy is rather slow-moving, making it easy to walk around and attack from behind.

Strategy

An almost defeated Joustmite being scanned.

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

As mentioned before, the Joustmite protects the front of its body, making it completely immune to frontal assaults. The most effective strategy is to approach it from behind without waking it up, and proceeding to swarm the creature. If the Joustmite is awake, you can still try to run behind it and proceed to throw Pikmin, or you can run away, and the Joustmite will go back underground. Rock Pikmin are immune to its attacks, making throwing them at the Joustmite's rear another effective strategy. The enemy eats Pikmin at a rather fast rate, so be aware.

Technical information

Pikmin 3 technical information (?)
Internal name	kaburi
HP	450
Rock Pikmin throw hits to kill	10
White Pikmin ingestions to kill	3
Bomb rock explosions to kill	1
Bomb rock ingestions to kill	0
Number of direct hits on top to kill	0
Damage to leaders	10
Territory radius	200
Mission Mode value	30

Naming

See more: Burrow-nit family#Naming.

"Joustmite" is a combination of two words. "Joust" (or "jousting") is a medieval sport where two opponents riding on horses try to knock the other one off with a sharp lance, and refers to the Joustmite's sharp proboscis. The shell also greatly resembles a medieval knight's helmet. A "mite" is an insect. In Japan, its name is カブリムシ^?, which translates to "Head Insect", and likely refers to how the bug looks like one large head, because of its shell.

Its scientific name is Trilobitins reversa. Reversa is similar to "reverse". This could be in reference to how players attack the creature (from the back, rather than the front) or even its reversed weak-point positioning compared to the Cloaking Burrow-nit.

Its internal name consists of only the first word of its Japanese name, kaburi (head).

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	カブリムシ? Kaburi Mushi	Head Insect
French	Cachepique	From cache (hide) and pique (pike)
German	Gepanzerter Grabwicht	Armored Burrow midget
Spanish (NoA)	Liendre astada	Horned nit

Gallery

• Burried.PNG

  A Joustmite buried in the ground.

• 

  A Joustmite in the Distant Tundra area.

• Kaburimushi face.jpg

  Rock Pikmin fight a Joustmite.

• Joustmite P3 front view.jpg

  A frontal view of the Joustmite.

• Joustmite.jpg

  A side view of a wandering Joustmite.

• Joustmite P3 dead.png

  A defeated Joustmite.

• JoustmiteDataFile.jpg

  The data file on the Joustmite.

Trivia

• Unlike the Cloaking Burrow-nit, the Joustmite's death and shaking animations show that its shell is unattached to its body, making it more of a helmet than an actual shell.