Anode Beetle

Anode Beetle
Appears in	Pikmin 2, Pikmin 4
Scientific name	Scarabum electrodea
Family	Scarab beetle
Areas	None
Caves	Subterranean Complex, Frontier Cavern, Bulblax Kingdom, Citadel of Spiders, Glutton's Kitchen, Submerged Castle, Cavern of Chaos, Hole of Heroes, Dream Den
Challenge Mode stages	Three Color Training, Bully Den
Dandori Challenge stages	None
Dandori Battle stages	None
2-Player Battle stages	Hostile Territory
Attacks	Discharges electricity

Anode Beetles (エレキムシ^?, lit.: "Electric Bug") are small black beetles with four yellow spots on their wing casings found in caves throughout Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 4. This creature is blissfully unaware of Pikmin, and if found alone, they are harmless; but if there is a partner nearby, they can produce an electrical barrier between them, making any nearby Pikmin subject to electrocution. As such, they are commonly found in groups of 2 or more. Swarming will not harm it, as it has a protective shell, similar to the Flint Beetles. To harm it, one must throw a Pikmin on top of it to flip it over, then proceed to swarm it. Purple Pikmin can cause them to flip over even if not directly hit.

Stats

Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health	Regen.
5	10	5	× 3	500	1.5 HP/s

Notes

Olimar's notes

“This specimen is representative of an insect hybrid that uses electricity in addition to glycogen for its energy. Although difficult to confirm due to their microscopic size, tiny hairs on the creature's legs cause the friction that generates the electrical charge. The electrical charge is processed by the creature's internal machina battery structure, and then stored as a deus electrifical field. As this field reaches critical levels, surplus electricity is emitted, resulting in a low voltage current that is transmitted between specimens. It can shock other creatures in the immediate vicinity. Considering this process, it can be surmised that the largest impetus to pack behavior is not so much for synergic effect of producing as a pack as it is to take advantage of this most effective means of group preservation.”

Louie's notes

“Drain the electrical charge before boiling. Although it is possible to eat an anode beetle while it is charged, doing so may result in an unpleasant tingling sensation.”

Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide

“Zapping baddies communicate with each other by sending electric charges over the air. The safest way to attack an Anode Beetle is to use electricity-resistant yellow Pikmin. A direct hit from the air will flip one of the bugs, leaving its vulnerable underbelly exposed.”

Behavior

Anode Beetles are almost always found in groups. This is because in order to pose any threat as enemies, they must generate electricity between each other. This process takes a few seconds because the two creatures must first align themselves such that their rear ends are facing each other, and then the discharge procedure itself takes a few seconds. Once it appears, the electric arc between two beetles will kill any non-Yellow Pikmin it touches. If an Anode Beetle is all alone, or is unable to link with a partner, it will still occasionally produce small jolts of electricity from beneath its wings, but these are harmless. If two beetles are connected with an arc of electricity, and one of them gets flipped over or becomes petrified, the connection will disappear and the other beetle will resume idling.

Anode Beetles are defensive creatures; they cannot be damaged while standing upright. They can, however, be flipped over is a Pikmin is thrown directly onto one's back, or if a Purple Pikmin is thrown such that the shock wave forces one to flip over. Once flipped, an Anode Beetle can be damaged with ease and can be defeated relatively quickly.

In Pikmin 4, the previously harmless electrical flickering it produces when attempting to arc electricity to another Anode Beetle is now an attack, and shocks anything without electrical immunity that touches its shell.

Strategy

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

Pikmin 2

Since this enemy can kill any type of Pikmin that is not immune to electricity, it is advised to use Yellows. Simply throw a Yellow Pikmin onto it, and proceed to swarm it with any Pikmin you have. A group of 20 or more Yellows can kill it in one cycle. Alternatively, you can use other Pikmin types, but with care, as electrocution is highly possible. As an upside, Purple Pikmin can flip the beetles even if not directly thrown on top of them. Bulbmin are also useful in caves such as the Submerged Castle.

Note that, just like Flint Beetles, the Anode Beetle is not harmed by the rocks of Lithopods. It is not harmed by bomb-rocks, Gatling Groinks, or the Waterwraith, either.

Pikmin 4

Anode Beetle's rarity, the reduced lethality of electricity since Pikmin 2, and the likelihood of obtaining the Anti-Electrifier Gear by the point the enemies are even encountered might as well make them completely harmless, as they're never encountered alongside anything other than more of themselves. Though if you do somehow manage to get you or any of your squad stunned, just mash B to get up and whistle any stunned Pikmin as it takes a solid 5 seconds before they die.

Technical information

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			`elecbug`
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	0.04
s004	bounceFactor	Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?)	0.3
fp00	ライフ	HP	500
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	20
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	30
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.03
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	200
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	100
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	70
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	300
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?)	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?)	15
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	30
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0.0001
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	50
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	40
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	3
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	8
ip04	振り払い張付２	Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement	5
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	10
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Shake mode 4 – hit count	30
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	ひっくり返り時間	Time spent turned over	5
fp02	ウェイト時間	Time spent standing still	1.5
fp11	放電時間	Time spent generating current	3

Glitch

See: Glitches in Pikmin 2#Anode Beetle flip glitch

If the player hits an Anode Beetle on the same frame it would start rotating to face a partner, the Beetle will get up instantly. Distracted players could end up losing Pikmin to an enemy that would otherwise be disabled.

Naming

Common name: Anode Beetle. An anode is the negative terminal of a voltaic battery. This word references the beetle's electrical nature.
Japanese nickname: エレキムシ^?, lit.: "Electric Bug".
Japanese name: キモンエレキムシ^?, lit.: "Yellow Pattern Electric Bug".
Scientific name: Scarabum electrodea. Scarabum refers to the real world scarabaeidae family, where scarab beetles are from, and electrodea is Latin for "electrode".
Internal names: Internally, it is called elecbug, a shortening of its Japanese name's translation.
Prerelease: None.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	エレキムシ^? Ereki Mushi	Electric Bug
French	Scarabée Electrique	Electric Beetle	"Electrique" should be "Électrique".
German	Anodenkäfer	Anode Beetle
Italian	Anodicocco	From "anodo" (anode) and "coccinella" (ladybug)
Spanish (NoA)	Escarabajo ánodo	Anode beetle