Desiccated Skitter Leaf

The Desiccated Skitter Leaf is an enemy introduced in Pikmin 3. It is a hostile Skitterling, contrary to the harmless Skitter Leaf. It disguises itself as a withered leaf. It scuttles around with great speed, and can snatch a Pikmin with what appear to be claws and devour it within a split second. These creatures are usually found in the Twilight River, as they are camouflaged almost flawlessly by the dirt and fallen leaves. They are especially irritating when having Pikmin carry back spoils or fruit. One must be careful and be sure to check the area to rid of any Desiccated Skitter Leaves before starting the day. In Mission Mode, they are found in larger groups, typically around 6-8 per group, posing more of a threat. It produces noises similar to those of a Skitter Leaf, but its sounds much more aggressive. Also like the other Skitterling, upon death, it slowly floats to the ground, and produces a soft noise. It is easy to carry, requiring one Pikmin, and unlike the Skitter Leaf, it is useful for Pikmin cultivation, producing three sprouts. Although they are hard to spot when camouflaged amongst the dead leaves, they can be highlighted if the cursor passes over them.

Behavior
When there is nothing happening, Desiccated Skitter Leafs idle around on the ground, disguised as leafs. If lonesome Pikmin get near them, they pop out of their disguise and quickly attack. However, they are afraid of leaders, so if one gets close, whether accompanied by Pikmin or not, it will stand still to avoid being found out. If a leader bumps into one that is hiding, it will stop disguising and run around in a panic, in hopes of evading the leader. While in this panicked state, they can still stop to snatch a Pikmin or two, but are much less likely to do so.

Strategy
Although they are agile, Desiccated Skitter Leaves are extremely frail, and will die instantly if a Pikmin is thrown on top of one. Winged Pikmin are the only exception because they can crush a resting Desiccated Skitter Leaf, but not an active one. These creatures can snatch and eat Pikmin quickly, so if one is on the attack, caution must be taken. Interestingly, these creatures cannot eat Pikmin if the latter are holding bomb rocks: nothing will happen to them and they will continue carrying their bombs.

In most cases Desiccated Skitter Leaves are not hard to spot lying on the ground, and it is best for you to defeat them while they are still in a resting state; one Pikmin of any type will defeat it if landed directly on it. If these creatures are found in a group, you should either play hit-and-run and take them out one at a time, calling the Pikmin back as soon as it is thrown, or approach with a large group of Pikmin and throw quickly in hopes of defeating all of them before any casualties can occur. If any bomb rocks are in the area, you could consider using one to minimize chance of loss, but this is not recommended in most cases, as Desiccated Skitter Leaves are never too much of a problem to deal with on your own.

Trivia

 * The Desiccated Skitter Leaf appears underwater in Stagnant Sea, and is able to move quickly in this aquatic environment, unlike the regular Skitter Leaf.