Lithopod family

Armored Cannon Beetle Larva

Armored Cannon Beetle Larva are enemies in the Pikmin 2 game. They resemble large larvae with some of the simliar Armored Cannon Beetle eyes and mouth. Unlike the full-grown Armored Cannon Beetle, its mouth functions both as inhaling and spitting boulders. It acts the same as the Armored Cannon Beetle, but turns and spits at a faster rate and has much less health. They come in two types; one that walks around and one that burrows out of the ground. These are not different at all except for the fact that one cannot move around. They are vulnerable all over their body, but can buck the Pikmin off when attacked. You can manipulate them into destroying other creatures by making them spit rocks at you when you are beside an enemy. Move out of the way before the rock hits you, and the rock will hit the enemy that was behind you. As a note, the rocks it shoots out cannot be petrified.

Armored Cannon Beetle

The Armored Cannon Beetle is the mature specimen of an Armored Cannon Beetle Larva, strangely, it was seen only in Pikmin 1, while it was discontinued in Pikmin 2, however the larvae species were not seen in Pikmin 1, and actually seen in Pikmin 2. It is a large black and metallic beetle with a rounded thick shell of armor, a blowhole above its head, and a mouth. It attacks by inhaling through the blowhole and subsequently spitting out rolling rocks from its mouth, which will crush any Pikmin in the way. The only way to defeat it is to throw a Pikmin into the blowhole (the Pikmin won't be harmed), which will make the Beetle unable to breathe. It will then expose its red, steaming backside allowing it to breathe (maybe), which is the only vulnerable part of its body to throw Pikmin at. After a few seconds of agony, the Beetle will unclog its blowhole, re-cover its backside, and continue its attack. It is one of the few enemies in the game that had a larval form seen.

Decorated Cannon Beetle

Decorated Cannon Beetles have an appearance identical to Armored Cannon Beetle Larvae, except they are red instead of green. They, too, spit out stones; but their rocks home in on your currently active captain due to the fact that magnetic substance is inside the rock, and unfortunately, you are the metal it homes in on. This species is never found partially buried in the ground. Strangely, even when they are found in caves which are made of metal which is rusty, indicating it contains iron, the spacesuits are the only thing it homes in on.