Author Notes - More than half of this family's members are from Hey! Pikmin. I don't know how I feel about that.
SCARPANID FAMILY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Anthropoda
Class: Pseudoinsecta
Order: Inswoopta
EMILY'S PERSONAL NOTES
According to all known laws of aviation, a Snitchbug should not be able to fly. Their tiny antenna… okay, you know where I'm going with this. I couldn't help it, okay!? The way Snitchbugs can carry their big bodies with their tiny wings is mindblowing! And then there's the Coppellers guys, who are literally buggy helicopters. It astounds me how bizarre yet beautiful the creatures of this planet can be sometimes. Or all of the times.
Can we just discuss the Bumbling Snitchbug for a bit? Alright. So, I'll admit that I've been caught by a few once or twice. If you're not expecting it, it can really catch you off guard. But Captain Olimar says that only a fool would get caught by one. In his own words, 'any leader caught by this creature is clearly an idiot'. So does that make me an idiot? No. And not because I'm not an idiot. I say this because Captain Olimar HIMSELF got caught up Bumbling Snitchbugs. In fact, I think he got swiped more than anyone else. I, uh, think he's deep in denial about that.
(Also I just learnt the thing is called the 'MuGGonfly', not the 'MuTTonfly'. Dang it...)
PHYSICAL APPEARANCES
All known members of this family have two-to-three segments in their body, and small wings at the top of their bodies that keep them aloft. They also all share a habit of grabbing and stealing things.
The Scarpanica kesperens (Swooping Snitchbug) has a bean-shaped body covered in green ridges, and a small head with red compound eyes. Its two antennae are quite large and have hairs much like those on a moth. They have no legs, but do have two long arms that end with clawed hands.
The Scarpanica doofenia (Bumbling Snitchbug) bears a vague resemblance to the Swooping variant, but has many big differences. Its body consists mostly of a yellow shape resembling a burlap sack, while its compound eyes are much smaller. Its arms are thicker and appear to have 'gloves', much like those on a stereotypical cat burglar.
Despite their similar appearances and common names, the Viridelacus princeps (Coppeller) and Purpuralacus spicadia (Spiny Coppeller) are two separate species. Both have round bodies and heads, with big eyes and flower-like wings on the top of their bodies that rotate like a helicopter's blades. The biggest difference is the colour - the regular Coppeller is green and yellow, with red eyes and white wings, while the Spiny variant is purple with red-and-yellow wings. The Spiny Coppeller is also covered in pink spines over its body and the end of its six legs.
The Draco saccusporum (Muggonfly), in contrast to the rest of the family, resembles a dragonfly in almost every way. It has the spinning white flower-like wings of the Coppellers, two translucent wings on its body, and a long brown tail with a series of tiny legs.
HABITAT
The Snitchbugs have proven to be quite adaptable when it comes to their habitats. Both species have been seen living in both tropical and snowy areas, and everywhere in between. They can even live in areas flooded with a strange toxic fluid. The Bumbling variant is rarer and harder to find, due to it living exclusively underground. The Swooping variant has also been found above ground.
The regular Coppeller also demonstrates this range, living in similar climates. The Spiny Coppeller is less common, and lives only in watery areas. The water of these areas do not need to be clean, for they can also live near toxic water.
The Muggonfly, in contrast to its fairly common cousins, is an incredibly rare species. It is only known to leave in the trees above the toxic waters, seemingly only capable of surviving on the poisons in the rivers and nothing more.
DIET AND DEFENCES
Members of this family typically consume small insects, though they may also eat plant seeds. They hunt their prey by flying through the air, swooping downwards to the ground, and swiping their prey into their claws. If the captured prey is small enough, the Scarpanid will consume it in the air.
However, the prey is often too big to easily eat mid-flight. If this is the case, the Scarpanid will slam it into the ground hard enough to kill it. Once their prey is sufficiently crushed by the g-forces, the Scarpanid will swoop down once again and consume the remains on the ground. Note that this method of hunting does not work on Pikmin (see 'Pikmin'). If a Pikmin is caught by a Scarpanid, it will merely be planted in the ground where it just needs to be plucked again. The Spiny Coppeller is incapable of this method of hunting, due to their spines taking over their hands. They have to pierce their prey with their leg-like spines and eat it directly off their bodies.
The Muggonfly does not hunt for prey, and instead drinks the poisonous waters and nothing else. It does not survive in spite of the poison but because of the poisons. It has evolved to not only resist the poisons in the water but gain nutrients from it. The likeliest theory is that it is consuming the nutrients left behind by creatures that perished in the waters.
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Scarpanids live mostly alone, though they do not mind sharing their territories with others of their kind. This extends to all species, as many species of Scarpanids can be found living together in the same area without much trouble. Many specimens can live in the same area, and they will usually not fight. Battles for territory are rarely had in this family, so males and/or females of opposing groups can coincide with others just fine.
COURTING AND CHILDREARING
The way that Scarpanids court is not unusual among insectoid species. When it is time for mating season, males will flutter their antenna or wings with a specific vibration to attract a mate. It is when the eggs are 'laid' that it becomes strange.
The eggs are in fact 'formed' in the hands of the female, sticking to her claws or spines for approximately a week until they hatch. Once a female is ready to have offspring, her hands grow little connectors to the eggs so they can consume some of her food. These connectors are near microscopic, and very few individuals can see them without a microscope. The Muggonfly deviates from this only slightly - their eggs grow on the tip of their tail.
The male stays with his mate and flies away to hunt for food for her. Once the eggs hatch, they consume the eggs and connectors on their mother's hands, and immediately pupate. This stage lasts only two weeks, and the mother remains with them for this period of time. They eventually grow too big for their own cocoons and break them. It only takes two weeks of shedding their exoskeletons for them to fully mature.
OTHER NOTES
Many have noticed that Captain Olimar's original presentation of PNF-404's fascinating creatures was in alphabetical order, yet the Swooping Snitchbug was between the Fiery Blowhog (see 'Blowhog') and the Goolix (see 'Wraith'). This is due to the creature's original name being the 'Flying Snitchbug'. The name change was so last minute that Olimar only had time to change it, and not correct the order.
NOTES FROM OTHER RESEARCHERS
Swooping Snitchbug -
It's well built to do what it does, which is to capture wandering Pikmin and slam them into the ground. But why does it do that? Form without function isn't very good design in my book. I like to turn the tables and load them down with so many Pikmin they're too heavy to fly. What goes around comes around. - Alph
They're annoying, but I also feel a connection to these huge flying insects. Just like me, they like to bury things in the ground. And just like me, they wander off, forgetting about the seed until someone else comes along to harvest it. - Brittany (Emily's notes: Are... are you a squirrel?)
I could go into my strategies for taking out these things, but... eh, why bother? They're nuisances, not threats. Plucking buried Pikmin is a relaxing activity that gives me time to consider how to tackle critters that can do serious damage.- Captain Charlie
Bumbling Snitchbug -
I'm staying far away from these guys. They say that only idiots could get caught by it, but Captain Olimar is among those caught in its grasp. Maybe that's its strategy; lure people into thinking its a bumbling fool, before it swoops in! - Alph
I'm in a mood. One of these things swiped me up and refused to let me down until it slammed me face-first into some rocks. Then I found out that APPARENTLY only idiots would get caught by this thing. … WELL THAT CAN'T BE TRUE! - Brittany
Any soldier worth their salt wouldn't let themselves get caught by a thief so, well, bumbling. You just have to wait until the right moment, and… HEY, PUT ME DOWN! - Captain Charlie
Coppeller -
It doesn't really attack the Pikmin at all. For the most part, it isn't really even worth going after. But sometimes, it'll be carrying some supplies that are useful for us. In that case, you'd better attack it! ... Even if you do feel kinda bad afterwards. - Alph
It's pretty, isn't it? It isn't all that scary, and it flies through the air like a little helicopter. I'm just gonna sit here and appreciate how cute it is. On a planet like this, you kind of have to appreciate the friendly critters when you find them. All... what, FIVE of them? - Brittany
Don't bother with it unless you really need it. It's a harmless little creature that'll simply fly away if you leave it alone. If it's carrying anything helpful, just a couple of thrown Pikmin oughta work. Don't be mean about it. - Captain Charlie
Spiny Coppeller -
Whatever you do, do NOT throw Pikmin at this creature! Unlike its spine-less counterpart, this model is packing multiple spikes so sharp that it'll skewer any Pikmin thrown at it! It's got so many spikes that it can't even carry seeds anymore. Talk about a major design flaw! - Alph
And you had to ruin it. You had a nice and cuddly li'l critter, and what did you do? YOU PUT SPIKES ALL OVER IT! It's still beautiful, admittedly, but it's no longer cute. ... Okay, maybe it's a liiittle cute. But only a little! - Brittany
Stay away from this soldier at all costs. It won't fly directly at you, but you shouldn't mess with it at all. If you do, you'll get a face-full of spikes. ... I definitely don't know that one from experience. - Captain Charlie
Muggonfly -
It's nice whenever we encounter a creature that WON'T get our entrails for breakfast. It just shows up, carrying some seeds. It has a very aerodynamic design, so when its seeds are taken, it can zip outta danger before you know it! - Alph
I thought the dragonfly-looking thing would be a horrifying hunter that would bite my head off. Turns out the guy is actually really sweet and just cares a lot about their family. Adorable! - Brittany
There is something kind of epic about eating poison for lunch. I don't know how the Muggonfly does it, but it literally drinks poison on a daily basis. I wish I could be that awesome... - Captain Charlie
Author Notes - At some point, I'm gonna write another Pikmin story that's a proper narrative. In the meantime, I'm gonna work on getting this one done. It's been a fun ride, but it is beginning to get kinda... annoying, at this point. Anyway, be careful around any fallen leaf you see on the ground, cos you might find a Skitterleaf!
