Armored Cannon Beetle

The Armored Cannon Beetle is the adult stage of an Armored Cannon Beetle Larva. The beetle is first discovered during Olimar's first visit to the Pikmin Planet; during his second trip, only the larval stage is present. It is a large, black, almost shiny beetle with a thick, rounded shell of armor and a blowhole above its head. It attacks by inhaling through this opening and subsequently firing a rolling rock from its mouth that travels in a straight path, which crushes small creatures, including Pikmin.

This enemy is only found in The Forest of Hope, where one is guarding the Radiation Canopy, and The Distant Spring, where one has ingested the Bowsprit. As a side-note, Olimar can destroy the rocks by punching them; this does not work with the rock-producing Lithopods in Pikmin 2, however.

Ship Log
"This creature spits out massive rocks and boasts an impenetrable shell that repels all Pikmin attacks. Just before spitting out a boulder, it sucks in large breaths of air... Perhaps its air hole will provide a clue to it's weakness."

How to kill
The only way one can be defeated is by clogging the blowhole during air intake (Pikmin are impervious to harm when inhaled). This causes the beetle's internal temperature to rise dramatically, and in response the beetle will expose its burning abdomen underneath the armor to vent. The exposed abdomen leaves the beetle extremely vulnerable to attack. However, the beetle will quickly unclog its blowhole, shield its backside, and continue its attack after excess heat has been drained. But if Olimar brings 40-60 Red Pikmin with buds or flowers and throws quickly, he can have the Armored Cannon Beetle down and out on the first or second try. After closing its back up, your Pikmin are knocked down and the Armored Cannon Beetle shoots a boulder out of its nose that rolls until it hits a wall. Make sure you whistle your Pikmin quickly or they will be crushed.

Appearances

 * Pikmin 1/New Play Control