Glittering Cannon Beetle

The Glittering Cannon Beetle is a species of lithopod and a boss in Pikmin Z. The creature resembles a bigger, stronger Armored Cannon Beetle Larva, and it never leaves its burrows. The front of its body is covered in glistening, emerald green armor plating, but its rear is bare and vulnerable. The creature is aware of this weakness, however, and hides its back half underground.

Biology
The Glittering Cannon Beetle is an underdeveloped lithopod that retained life underground. Like most other lithopods, the Glittering Cannon Beetle is capable of shooting projectiles at its enemies. It can spit out regular boulders, fire rocks that can burn Pikmin, and bomb-rocks that explode on impact with a surface. It is unclear as to how it can do this.
 * Diet: roots, tubers
 * Predators: unknown

Piklopedia Entry

 * "A rather imposing beast on the surface, the Glittering Cannon Beetle mainly eats tubers and roots. It becomes vulnerable if it is pulled out of its burrow or loses its armor. It is highly territorial, and drives intruders away by showering them in projectiles."

Strategy
The Glittering Cannon Beetle cannot be attacked directly due to its strong and durable armor, which can be destroyed with the use of bomb-rocks. The creature will begin its assault by shooting ordinary boulders, eventually spitting out fire boulders and bomb-rocks as well. Unlike with its boulders, the Glittering Cannon Beetle will spit its bomb-rocks into the air, making it possible for Pikmin to catch them in their hands to prevent them from detonating on impact with the ground. Pelt the creature with the bomb-rocks to destroy its armor, and throw Pikmin onto its now-exposed body to inflict additional damage. Similarly to the Armored Cannon Beetle, Pikmin can be thrown into its blowhole as it prepares an attack to momentarily incapacitate it. Red Pikmin are recommended to battle the Glittering Cannon Beetle with because of their immunity to fire.

Once the Glittering Cannon Beetle's health reaches half, the creature will change tactics. It will abandon its central burrow, traveling underground and partially emerging from different places in its arena, away from its attackers, where it will resume shooting projectiles at them. After suffering enough damage, the Glittering Cannon Beetle will burrow into the ground and find a different position. Stun the beast to prevent it from escaping so quickly by throwing a Pikmin into its blowhole, and maximize damage by covering it in Pikmin. Repeat the process and the Glittering Cannon Beetle will be no more.