Kettlebug family

The kettlebug family is a group consisting of insects that walk on two legs, and release a mind-altering soundwave.

Antenna Beetle


The Antenna Beetle is an enemy in Pikmin 2. When it is present in the sublevel, it scrambles the Treasure Gauge on the HUD. This enemy can whistle around itself, and attract the player's Pikmin against their will. After a while, it'll jump into the air and land nearby shortly after. Its defeat ensures the normal functioning of the Treasure Gauge, as well as the release of any entranced Pikmin.

Aqua Kettlebug
The Aqua Kettlebug is one of the many new species of kettlebug discovered during the events of Pikmin: Shadows of the Future. Lacking a loud sound-producing organ, this greenish beast has a strange hole in its chest that opens and closes. When approached, it will attempt to protect itself by opening this hole, dumping water onto the ground.

Common Kettlebug
A relative of the Antenna Beetle, the Common Kettlebug is a harmless species that acts as fodder for your Pikmin. It simply hops around, slowly fleeing when it sees your Pikmin. It uses its whistle to try and scare your Pikmin away, but it doesn't do anything, other than wake up any sleeping Grub-dogs within its radius. It resembles a light brown Antenna Beetle with green eyes.

Crystal Kettlebug
The Krystal Kettlebug is a rarely seen enemy. It appears by falling down from the sky and then quickly hopping away and off of the screen. This makes it very hard to catch. As soon as it falls from the sky, toss Pikmin at it to quickly weigh it down.

Harebug
This species of Kettlebug bares a vague resemblance to a real world Grasshopper: with two small frontal legs, and two very long hind legs, each twice as long as its own body. This advantage allows it to jump ten times the length of its body. They're often docile, and often found on vegetation. When threatened it will try to hop away, but can still use it's hind feet to kick an enemy away to give it time to escape.

Hysterical Beetle


This strange Antenna Beetle variant has a loud, ear-piercing whistle that scares the Pikmin into a scattering panic. Though harmless on its own, it can be troublesome if dealing with other enemies. Additionally, the Loot Detector malfunctions when one of these is nearby. You can tell if one is in the area if you listen closely. You can hear quiet giggling.

Shadowy Kettlebug
The Shadowy Kettlebug is a fearsome beast that usually hides within dark alcoves. It behaves similarly to the Antenna Beetle, but its otherworldly, nightmarish call deflowers and hypnotizes Pikmin. In addition, it also tries to lure the Pikmin into deadly hazards! It is very dark blue in coloration, with neon green eyes.

Tough-Legged Kettlebug


The Tough-legged Kettlebug is a larger relative of the Antenna Beetle native to the Vengeful Thicket and is so named for its bulky limbs which allow it to balance unharmed on the thick bramble patches bordering many pathways in the region. While this enemy is incapable of harming Pikmin on its own, it will sound a whistle in front of itself when they approach, hypnotizing Pikmin into following it. Since the Tough-legged Kettlebug always stands atop brambles, this invariably leads the Pikmin to walk right into the thorny plants and end up stunned and at the mercy of more dangerous enemies.