Empress Bulblax

The Empress Bulblax is a boss-class enemy in Pikmin 2. Its markings and general features are similar to those of the Red Bulborb, but its body is much larger and composed of five distinct segments; its comparatively tiny legs dangle above the ground. This creature is shown sleeping in the Piklopedia and cannot be awakened.

An Empress Bulblax is located on the last sublevel (5) of Hole of Beasts, sublevel 8 of Frontier Cavern, sublevel 11 of Hole of Heroes, and sublevel 4 of Emperor's Realm in Challenge Mode.

Olimar's Notes
Initial observation placed doubt on the capacity of the grub-dog family to support a strong ant- or beelike social structure, but recent studies show the family is capable of such complexity. The egg sac of the largest female grub-dog within a given range swells to dramatic proportions in response to environmental changes, such as the sudden depletion of prey species. These females temporarily take on the role of pack matriarch. Also, in pack formation it has been observed that nearly all males not involved in species reproduction undergo natural sex changes. The characteristics of such specimens are quite intriguing indeed.

Louie's Notes
For a sophisticated delicacy, make a pate de foie gras from this massively obese creature's liver and spread it over a sesame cracker.

How to kill
To defeat this enemy, throw (preferably Purple) Pikmin onto its face and call them back before it throws them off. After shaking Pikmin off, the boss rolls from side to side across the chamber in an attempt to crush its aggressors, smashing into walls, and making rocks fall from the ceiling in most encounters in the game. Although risky, the Bulblax can be petrified if the spray is released on the middle of its elongated torso.

The Empress Bulblax is one of the few bosses that can vary depending on where you encounter it: for the Hole of Beasts fight, it is easier to throw the Pikmin on the Empress Bulblax's side to the left and retreat to the alcove in the wall between attacks. Here, it is also effective to swarm the body from the left at the start of the battle, before the boss awakes. Later dungeons have the Empress continuously giving birth to Bulborb Larvae, which pose an extra threat to your Pikmin, but are helpless against their own mother's wild rolling.

When defeated, four of its body segments explode, leaving only the first segment attached to the head, which can be returned to the Research Pod and cashed for 15 pokos.

Trivia

 * The Empress Bulblax may shed its skin; on the last sublevel on the Hole of Beasts, right underneath the Research Pod, there appears to be an Empress Bulblax skin on the floor.
 * The Bulblax also makes a cameo appearance in the game WarioWare: Smooth Moves where the player must tilt the Wii-mote to squish the Pikmin.
 * It is impossible to wake up the Empress Bulblax in the Piklopedia, no matter how many Pikpik carrots are thrown at it.
 * The Empress Bulblax is the only member of the Grub-dog family that does not kill Pikmin by eating them.

Pikmin:Redemption
Later on in the game there are ones that can shed their skin in order to escape your pummeling faster. There is also an Orange Empress Bulblax that serves as a mini-boss in some caves and even appears above ground.