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Swooping Snitchbug

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Swooping Snitchbug In-game icon.
Artwork of a Swooping Snitchbug.
Appears in PikminPikmin 2Pikmin 3Hey! Pikmin
Scientific name Scarpanica kesperens
Family Scarpanid
Areas The Forest of Hope, The Distant Spring, Perplexing Pool, Wistful Wild, Tropical Wilds, Distant Tundra, Formidable Oak, Olimar's Madcap Ride
Caves Subterranean Complex, Frontier Cavern, Snagret Hole, Citadel of Spiders, Cavern of Chaos, Hole of Heroes
Challenge Mode stages Abduction Den
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages Twilight Hollow, Twilight Hollow Remix, The Rustyard
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages Tropical Forest, Tropical Wilds Remix, Garden of Hope Remix, Distant Tundra Remix, Clockwork Chasm
Side Story days None
2-Player Battle stages None
Bingo Battle stages Stagnant Sea
Attacks Pikmin (game) icon.png:  Kidnap and throw Pikmin
Pikmin 2 icon.png:  Kidnap and throw Pikmin
Pikmin 3 icon.png:  Kidnap and throw Pikmin and leaders
This icon represents Hey! Pikmin on Pikipedia. It is based off of the game's logo.:  Kidnap Pikmin and drag them off screen

The Swooping Snitchbug (サライムシ?, lit.: "Kidnapping Bug") is a creature found in the main three Pikmin games and Hey! Pikmin. They are legless, round, flying insects that have evolved wing-like antennae as a means of locomotion. In Pikmin and Pikmin 2, they have glass-like eyes with pupils, but in Pikmin 3, they have more realistic compound eyes. In Hey! Pikmin, they return to having less realistic eyes, although they are still red like in Pikmin 3. They swoop down, as their name suggests, and grab their prey with their claws – a maximum of two at once. After carrying them for a few seconds, they violently throw them towards the ground. This action would harm most prey, whereas Pikmin are simply replanted and reverted to their original leaf stage in the first two games (in Pikmin 3, their maturity remains the same). They are also able to pick up the leaders in Pikmin 3, much like Bumbling Snitchbugs do in Pikmin 2 – if they don't escape, they will be tossed to the ground and damaged.

These creatures will plummet to the ground if weighed down by a sufficient number of Pikmin, or with a single Purple Pikmin in Pikmin 2 or a single Rock Pikmin in Pikmin 3. This renders it susceptible to further attack. ultra-bitter sprays may also be used to freeze it in mid-air, causing it to drop to the ground, which is arguably easier, but of course produces no corpse, and may be considered a waste of sprays.

Should the enemy throw a Yellow Pikmin that is holding a bomb-rock in Pikmin, the bomb-rock will explode, killing the Yellow Pikmin, all Pikmin caught in the blast, and likely itself, too. In Pikmin 3, it will carry the bomb rock and not the Pikmin, and throwing the bomb-rock merely activates it instead of causing an immediate explosion. Although the creature is not as interested in killing Pikmin as much as it is chucking them, it may end up throwing a Pikmin at a hazard.

In Pikmin, it can and will grab Pikmin from the leader's hand, if the captain is holding on to it before throwing, but in Pikmin 2, it will ignore any held Pikmin; it can still steal it from the hand if it begun swooping prior to the grab, however. In Pikmin 3, every time it dives, it randomly chooses to catch Pikmin or leaders, and if it chooses the former, it will never succeed in grabbing a held Pikmin. If it snatches two Pikmin in a single dive, the way it throws them will also differ between games – in Pikmin, it will throw one Pikmin first, fly around some more, and then throw the second one, but in Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3, it will throw both of them at once. In Hey! Pikmin, they will attempt to swoop straight down, grab Pikmin, and fly back up withought coming back again, counting as a death to the player's Pikmin. They are incredibly rare in this game, as only a few appear, in Olimar's Madcap Ride.

In Pikmin, it only appears in The Forest of Hope on day 15 and forward, and in The Distant Spring on day 5 and forward.

Stats

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Hey! Pikmin.
Particularly: Find out its health value by looking into the game files.

Game Weight Max.
carriers
Seeds Value Health Regen.
Pikmin 3 6 4 N/A 2000 Unknown
Pikmin 2 3 6 4 Poko icon.png × 4 1500 No
Pikmin 3 (?) 3 6 (normally) 4 Texture used for the Poko in Pikmin 3. × 30
Icon for the soul in Battle Enemies!, taken from the game's textures. × 30
1000[note 1] No
Hey! Pikmin N/A N/A N/A A yellow Sparklium Seed icon, used to represent the object found in the games. × 0 No
  1. ^ In the Garden of Hope Remix, its HP is 500.

Notes

Reel notes

This rare species uses its antennae as wings.

Olimar's notes

The scarpanids originally lived on the ground, sporting poorly developed vestigial wings. This species developed enlarged antennae that can be used as makeshift wings. Scarpanids are attracted by the sight of large groups of Pikmin in cavalry formation and will swoop down to seize them. However, scarpanids do not eat Pikmin, and they will drop any seized Pikmin after a short time. The reason for this behavior is unknown, but I look forward to future research in the area.

Louie's notes

Remove the wings, marinate a well-marbled steak for several hours in a chipotle marinade, then charbroil to perfection.

Hey! Pikmin logs

Their atrophied wings force them to spend most of their time on land, but they do fly on occasion to steal Pikmin.

Pikmin 3 Prima Guide

A Swooping Snitchbug attacks by snatching its enemies and throwing them to the ground. when a Swooping Snitchbug does this to a Pikmin, the force is enough to bury its victim – this essentially causes the Pikmin to revert to a sprout.

When you encounter a Swooping Snitchbug, use your Winged Pikmin to attack the creature until it falls to the ground, then use your squad to finish the vulnerable enemy. If you don't have any Winged Pikmin, just wait for the Swooping Snitchbug to stop moving before you attack with whatever Pikmin are available.

Strategy

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

Pikmin

These creatures can easily be brought to the ground by weighing it down with five or so Pikmin. Yellows are the best option to weigh it down, because their high reach makes it easier to hit it. Afterwards, a simple swarm can defeat it. If the Snitchbug captures a Yellow holding a bomb, it will explode while it is in the air.

Pikmin 2

The same strategy from Pikmin can be applied here. Alternatively, throwing a single Purple Pikmin onto it will weigh it down right away. Be warned, as on sublevels with abysses, the snitchbug can throw Pikmin down the pit. The snitchbug is much less of a threat in this game. It is advised to not use Purples on metallic sublevels, as there are often bombs on those sublevels.

Pikmin 3

In Pikmin 3, like in all of the other games, around 5 Pikmin are able to weigh the Swooping Snitchbug down, making it easy to defeat. It's recommended to use Yellow Pikmin to weigh it down, as their throwing height ensures it will land on the Swooping Snitchbug, and the Snitchbug can fly higher in this game. If you have a reasonable amount of Winged Pikmin, swarming it will be sure to weigh it down. A direct hit from a Rock Pikmin will bring the Swooping Snitchbug down too, similar to how throwing one Purple Pikmin on it will weigh it down in Pikmin 2.

Glitch

To do: Add to the glitches article.
Care to do so?

There is a rare glitch in Pikmin: once you've knocked the Swooping Snitchbug down to the ground, throw your Pikmin onto the creature and swarm it with all of the other Pikmin, which should kill it. Then, carry it back to the Onions by swarming the corpse. Later, you will notice the Pikmin you threw on the squirming Swooping Snitchbug are floating in the air, making the attacking motion as if they are attacking something invisible.

In the Super Smash Bros. series

The creature appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Brawl trophy

The Swooping Snitchbug trophy from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Description:

A member of the scarpanid family. Although originally a ground dweller, its oversized antennae developed into wings, allowing it to fly around freely. The snitchbug doesn't eat Pikmin, but rather picks them up, carries them away, and firmly replants them in another location.

GameCube icon.png Pikmin
GameCube icon.png Pikmin 2
How to obtain: Random appearance. Type: Fighter Related

Smash 4 trophy

The trophy for a Swooping Snitchbug in the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. US version icon.png US description:

A strange flying insectoid creature from the Pikmin series. Much like a fly rubbing its legs together, the Swooping Snitchbug has a habit of rubbing its hands. When it swoops down and snatches Pikmin from the ground, it doesn't eat them. Instead, it discards them after a few seconds. Why? Who knows?! Who cares?! They're free!
Appears in:

GameCube icon.png Pikmin (12/2001)
GameCube icon.png Pikmin 2 (08/2004)
European version icon.png EU description:

A strange flying insectoid creature from the Pikmin series. Much like a fly rubbing its legs together, the Swooping Snitchbug has a habit of rubbing its hands. When it swoops down and snatches Pikmin from the ground, it doesn't eat them. Instead, it just throws them back to the ground after a few seconds. Why? Who knows?!
Related Games

GameCube icon.png Pikmin (06/2002)
GameCube icon.png Pikmin 2 (10/2004)
How to obtain: Random appearance. Type: Series Related Trophy Box: 61. Distant Planet & Indigenous Creatures

Technical information

Pikmin technical information (?)
Internal name napkid
HP 2000
Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name sarai
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 0.1
s004 bounceFactor Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?) 0.3
fp00 ライフ HP 1500
fp01 マップとの当り Unknown (related to slopes) 17.5
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 80
fp08 回転速度率 Rotation acceleration 0.1
fp09 テリトリー Territory radius 300
fp10 ホーム範囲 "Home" radius 200
fp11 プライベート距離 "Private" radius 50
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 80
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?) 50
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 100
fp31 ライフ回復率 Regeneration rate 0
fp32 LOD半径 Off-camera radius 60
fp33 マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定 Collision processing radius 35
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 5
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 10
ip04 振り払い張付2 Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement 8
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 15
ip07 振り払い打撃D Shake mode 4 – hit count 20
Specific properties
ID Japanese comment Property Value
fp01 通常飛行高さ Unknown (normal flight height?) 85
fp02 掴み飛行高さ Unknown (flight height while holding?) 70
fp03 状態遷移高さ Unknown 50
fp04 通常移動速度 Unknown (normal movement speed?) 80
fp05 掴み移動速度 Unknown (swooping movement speed?) 70
fp06 ウェイト時間 Unknown (time between swoops?) 3
fp11 上昇係数(0) Unknown 4
fp12 上昇係数(5) Unknown 0.3
fp21 振払確率(1) Unknown 0.8
fp22 振払確率(5) Unknown (time spent struggling on the ground?) 0.8
fp23 もがき時間 Unknown 1
fp31 ハント下降係数 Unknown 0.3
fp32 ハント後減衰率 Unknown 0.95
fp41 Fall Meck 速度 Unknown 330
Pikmin 3 technical information (?)
Internal name sarai
HP 1000
Rock Pikmin throw hits to kill 15
White Pikmin ingestions to kill 0
Bomb rock explosions to kill 1
Bomb rock ingestions to kill 0
Number of direct hits on top to kill 0
Damage to leaders 0
Territory radius 200
Mission Mode value 30

Other information

Naming

See more: Scarpanid family#Naming.

In its English name, "Swooping" refers to how it swoops down to catch prey. Its Japanese name is サライムシ?, which translates to "Kidnapping Bug". The scientific name of this creature is Scarpanica kesperens, which is made up of two unknown words. Internally, it is known as napkid in Pikmin, which is likely a misspelling of "kidnap", which in turn is part of the translation of its Japanese name. In Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3, it is called sarai instead, the first word of its Japanese name.

On the enemy reel of Pikmin, the Swooping Snitchbug's clip plays between the Fiery Blowhog and the Goolix's clips. The enemy reel is otherwise sorted alphabetically, and because of this, and due to a lot of the clips hinting to the fact that the enemy reel was made a bit early during development, it is possible that before the game's release, the Swooping Snitchbug had a name that started with "Flying".

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Flag of Japan Japanese サライムシ?
Sarai Mushi
Kidnapping Bug
Flag of the Netherlands Dutch Duikende graaivlieg Swooping graspfly
Flag of France French Piquépille From pique et pille (swoop and plunder)
Flag of Germany German Flatternder Piknapper Fluttering Piknapper (play on Pikmin-Kidnapper)
Flag of Italy Italian Dittero ladro Thief dipterum
Flag of South Korea Korean 납치벌레
Napchi bulle
Kidnapping bug
Flag of Portugal Portuguese (NoE) Snitchbug Predador Predator Snitchbug Name taken from the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophy.
Flag of Spain Spanish Moscardón quinqui Delinquent botfly

Gallery

This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly:
Add an image of the creature in the creature log and of it dead in Hey! Pikmin.
You can help Pikipedia by uploading some images.

Trivia

  • When idle, the Swooping Snitching rubs its hands together, similar to a fly. This can also be seen with the Bumbling Snitchbug.
  • Swooping Snitchbugs and Mamutas are the only ways one can see a burrowed Bulbmin.
  • In Pikmin and Pikmin 2, when Pikmin are grabbed, their squeal is the same as if they got bitten, but it is a different sound in Pikmin 3.
  • In Pikmin 3, if a Pikmin lays down a bomb rock, there is a chance the Swooping Snitchbug will grab the bomb rock. It will then explode in its hands, killing it.
  • The position of the Swooping Snitchbug in the enemy reel, which is otherwise alphabetized, indicates that the creature's name may originally have started with the word "flying".

See also