Iridescent Flint Beetle

The Iridescent Flint Beetle is an enemy in the mainline Pikmin games. It is harmless to Pikmin, and instead runs around unpredictably. When a Pikmin is thrown directly on top of it, it will flip over and drop a useful object, such as a pellet or a drop of spray. Pikmin attacking from the ground cannot harm it. This enemy spends most of the time underground, only surfacing when a leader comes near, and it will return to the ground after some time has passed or after it has been hit enough times.

The name "Iridescent Flint Beetle" can refer to two different subspecies of creatures: the main one from, , and , or the spotted subspecies from. Aside from appearance, both species act identically.

Pikmin
In, the Iridescent Flint Beetle is small, round, and fairly common, with a green body and yellow eyes. They are mostly found in foliage or in corners. When hit, they drop, in order:
 * A 1-pellet,
 * Two doses of nectar,
 * Two more doses of nectar,
 * A 5-pellet,
 * A 1-pellet,
 * Two doses of nectar,
 * Two more doses of nectar,
 * A 5-pellet.

After that, more hits will not generate anything. This is difficult to achieve before it returns underground, however, due to its unpredictable and swift movement. It also poses an indirect threat to Pikmin, as it will often run through Olimar's army. This results in the Pikmin automatically attacking and chasing it unless called back, which can lead them into danger.

Pikmin 2
In, the Iridescent Flint Beetle's appearance was slightly changed to have a different coloration, and it is slightly smaller. Pikmin no longer attack them automatically as they do in the original game. In all Pikmin 2 Challenge Mode levels they're in, these creatures drop treasures. They are found in similar locations, but only drop three things: a 1-pellet (a dose of nectar if it's underground), 2 doses of nectar, and then a dose of ultra-spicy spray (3 doses of nectar if the ultra-spicy spray hasn't been discovered yet). Using Purple Pikmin, it is easier to fight them due to the shockwaves that the heavy Purple Pikmin produce when thrown. It is possible to defeat these creatures while petrified, but they drop neither nectar nor spray and leave no corpse.

On the main menu, if the player presses, an Iridescent Flint Beetle may appear that can be controlled with. The beetle will be swarmed if it gets close to the Pikmin. This is just one of the main menu easter eggs.

Pikmin 3
In, the Iridescent Flint Beetle was significantly redesigned. Its eyes (now purple) are still on stalks, but it sports two horizontally-facing antennae that look almost like a mustache, its shiny exoskeleton seems to have layers and appears less vibrant, and its underside appears to have four glowing, blue spots. In 's Piklopedia, Olimar confirms this drastic appearance change is due to them being a subspecies of the ones from previous games. The only way to harm one of these creatures, as with previous games, is by throwing Pikmin on its back, upon which it drops nectar or pellets.

Pikmin 4
In Pikmin 4, the Iridescent Flint Beetle returns to a more familiar design, looking more similar to how they do in Pikmin and Pikmin 2, while also slightly redesigning many aspects of the creature's appearance. Unlike the previous iterations which would drop Pellets or nectar, the Flint Beetle can now additionally drop raw material as well as Pellets, and with increasingly higher rewards as it would before.

Behavior
The Flint Beetle is harmless and will remain underground until a leader or Pikmin approaches its resting spot. Once active, the Flint Beetle will scurry about in no particular direction; only away from the player after being hit. It moves quickly and can be difficult to hit at times, but repeatedly flipping it over for up to three times will provide increasingly valuable rewards. After being hit three times, or being active for a certain amount of time, the creature will scurry back underground. Though it does not die, it will not return for the rest of the day/challenge.

Strategy
While the Flint Beetle cannot be killed, it can have certain items knocked out of it. The creature can only be attacked with Pikmin, as leaders have no way of damaging this creature aside from ultra-bitter spray. Pikmin must be thrown at the Beetle's shell to flip it, knocking out useful items. The Iridescent Glint Beetle and the Doodlebug are damaged in the same way.

Purple Pikmin in Pikmin 2 can home in, making them easier to hit with. With proper timing, or by repeatedly throwing Pikmin, one can hit the beetle before it begins running again, resulting in the creature staying in the same place.

In the Super Smash Bros. series
The Iridescent Flint Beetle appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as a trophy.

Trivia

 * The Iridescent Glint Beetle belongs in a different family, the Glint beetle family, while their genera is the same as the Iridescent Flint Beetles. In real life, it is impossible for members of different families to share a genus; this would mean their genus identifiers are coincidentally the same instead of related.
 * The European version of the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophy advises players to flip the creature over with a Purple Pikmin and then having them attack it. This strategy doesn't make much sense, and was likely mistaken for the Anode Beetle instead, which lacks a trophy.
 * Prior to the release of, the Doodlebug was mistakenly referred to as belonging to the "Flint bug family" in the English version, even though it were claimed to share the same genus as the Iridescent Flint Beetle. In the Japanese version of , the Iridescent Flint Beetle and the Doodlebug have always shared the same family.
 * In the Spanish version, the Flint Beetle, Glint Beetle, and Doodlebug are from the same family. Even though the Glint Beetle is referred to belong in a different family in the Japanese version.
 * In Pikmin 3, when an Iridescent Flint Beetle is hit with a Pikmin and lands on the ground, it makes a clink like a coin hitting the ground.
 * The Iridescent Flint Beetle may be based off.
 * The Iridescent Flint Beetle can be killed when turned to stone by an Ultra-Bitter Spray in Pikmin 2, or frozen by an ice blast in Pikmin 4.