Mitite

Mitite
Appears in	Pikmin 2
Scientific name	Mitivius infiltratus
Family	Unknown
Areas	Valley of Repose, Awakening Wood, Perplexing Pool, Wistful Wild
Caves	Subterranean Complex, Frontier Cavern, Hole of Beasts, White Flower Garden, Bulblax Kingdom, Snagret Hole, Citadel of Spiders, Glutton's Kitchen, Shower Room, Submerged Castle, Cavern of Chaos, Hole of Heroes, Dream Den
Challenge Mode stages	None
2-Player Battle stages	None
Attacks	Causes panic

Mitites are small, pink creatures with white shells and six legs, found in Pikmin 2. They cannot directly harm Pikmin, but can inadvertently cause them to be killed, such as causing them to run in panic towards a hazard. When stumbled upon, they appear in a swarm of ten, scuttling around, sending both themselves and any Pikmin they pass near into a panic. Any egg, both on the ground and from a Honeywisp, has a chance of containing Mitites, which means they can be found anywhere eggs are. This means that they can be found anywhere except for Emergence Cave, as eggs can't be found when it is explored. These creatures also burrow up from under the ground in specific locations, such as sublevel 10 of the Hole of Heroes; and are released from the bodies of some Raging Long Legs once defeated. Any Mitites that are not killed eventually burrow underground.

Every creature in the swarm drops a pool of nectar when killed, which makes them valuable for building a flowered army. When trying to get Pokos, they are also somewhat efficient. The reason Mitites are found inside eggs is because they lay their eggs inside the eggs of other organisms, making them parasitoids. Strangely, they cannot be petrified in the areas or cave they are found in (save sublevel 6 of Bulblax Kingdom), but can be petrified in the Piklopedia by pressing the Z button.

Notes

Olimar's notes

“These parasitic insects feed on eggs. Upon reaching maturity, they excrete a special pheromone that attracts females of particular species, enticing these females to swallow the mitites whole. (Pikmin, however, seem to dislike the scent.) After entering the host female's body, the mitites lay their own eggs inside the host's eggs just prior to the host spawning.”

Louie's notes

“Flash-fry with garlic and red chilis in a hot pan, then sprinkle with grated gorgonzola. Some dinner guests may find the legs unappealing, so it's best to remove them before serving.”

Killing strategy

The best way to kill Mitites is to throw Purple Pikmin onto them: any type will work, but Purple Pikmin send out shock waves that kill all of the surrounding Mitites; without purples, a direct hit is required to kill a single enemy.

When approaching an egg, the player should keep in mind that it can drop Mitites. As such, the best way to open eggs is to throw 2 or 3 Purple Pikmin onto them in quick succession. The first Pikmin should break the egg(s), while the next Pikmin create a shock wave to destroy the Mitites, if they appear. This way, all Mitites can be killed in a quick fashion, without scaring Pikmin. However, seeing as eggs could drop nectar pools, it's advised to use flowered Purple Pikmin to open the eggs. If the egg drops nectar and the player uses leaf Purple Pikmin to open the egg, they might drink all of the nectar before most of the other Pikmin can reach it.

Artwork of four Mitites.