Author Notes - You'll have to forgive me if I act a little weird today. These Mitites have weird pheromones that affect any egg-producing species in strange ways, and unfortunately I am an egg-producing species.

...

MUST NOT EAT MITITES.

MITITE FAMILY

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthopoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Ixodida

EMILY'S PERSONAL NOTES

Okay, I'm a little worried about keeping these things around. See, Olimar's expeditions were done with either Louie or the President of Hocotate Freight. As in, his small groups were all guys. The Koppaite group had a female member, but they never encountered these creatures. I bring this up, because… I don't think I should be studying them myself.

In case you can't tell, I'm a woman. And these critters excrete a pheromone that attracts females of various species, to entice said females to eat them. And, um… IT WORKS ON KOPPAITES! That pheromone is sooo enticing… I can't handle it! I wanna try Louie's recipe, but I'm worried. I need to keep them as far away from me as possible, or… I won't be able to get away from them. Ugh, the one time in my life that I wish I was a man…

Is… is that joke bad? I don't mean it like that, I just… I won't make this sound good, will I? ... Actually, change that 'females' to 'egg-producing species'. After all, not all females produce eggs and not everyone who produces eggs are female. If you don't like it, shut up.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCES

The Mitivius infiltratus (Mitite) bears a strong resemblance to other members of the Ixodida family. It has a small pink head with a sizeable abdomen that has the appearance of a big round hat. Its eyes are small and black, and it scuttles around on several jointed legs.

HABITAT

In most situations, Mitites can only be found underground. There are very few places where one can find them on their own, and even in those places they will be buried deep in the earth. The caverns where Mitites live are very far and few between, though they will emerge from the ground briefly if someone walks over the earth they are buried in or manages to create powerful vibrations in the cave.

Mitites are seen much more commonly when they break out of broken eggs. If a group of Mitites 'hatch' from an egg, they will scatter around in a panic before burrowing back into the ground. If these eggs manage to make it above ground, they can appear on the planet's surface as well.

DIET AND DEFENCES

A Mitite's diet consists of nectar eggs, a special kind of egg found only on PNF-404. As the name suggests, these eggs typically contain nectar instead of a yolk or fertilised species, and occasionally juice from the Fructus cursimius (Burgeoning Spiderwort) plant. A hungry Mitite will stick its teeth through the shell of such an egg, syphoning out the insides much like a tick would drink blood.

Mitites are rather weak creatures, able to be defeated in groups with a sufficient impact in the ground. The only defence they have is retreating underground where they are relatively safe, though they may be in too much of a panic to do so.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Mitites will never be found alone. If one spots a single Mitite, a whole group is sure to follow. These groups are typically quite large, averaging at 10 Mitites a group. They make no distinction between male and females, and in fact are hermaphrodites.

COURTING AND CHILDREARING

When Mitites hit sexual maturity, they begin to secrete a strange-smelling pheromone to attract females of other species. These pheromones contain chemicals that compel these females to swallow them whole. Once a Mitite is inside the female host's body, they will work their way down to where the female is storing her eggs. They will then lay their own eggs inside the host's eggs, essentially replacing the unfertilised being within with their own species. When the egg is laid, the Mitites will break out at the slightly provocation and burrow deep underground after a brief period of panic.

OTHER NOTES

Members of the Pikmin family (see 'Pikmin') have demonstrated an extreme dislike for the scent of the Mitites' pheromones. The reason for this is unclear, but may indicate a period when Mitites feasted upon them. Purple Pikmin are the only known type of Pikmin that does not have a negative response to the scent.

NOTES FROM OTHER RESEARCHERS

Mitite -

Every ecosystem has the little guys who don't really seem to do much but are still important. While their odd pheromones will send most Pikmin into a panic, Purples deal with them easily. Not exactly threatening, but I'm not complaining that not EVERYONE on this planet wants us dead. - Alph

Must… consume… Mitites… Must… consume… Mitites… Must… consume… ARRRGGH! - Brittany

I don't know what these critters have done to Brittany, but I don't like it! Luckily, I can destroy a whole swarm of them just by slamming my steely fists into the ground! Now, if only that strange odour wasn't so distracting. - Captain Charlie

Author Notes - I'm fairly certain this is the shortest entry so far, since Mitites are kind of a 'what you see is what you get' kinda critter. The next family... is a little more interesting. Get your flashing beacons ready cos we're dealing with Bloysters!