It is often claimed, even by some of their less informed trainers, that Scatterbug have two eyes, and any attempts to dispute this claim are mistaken for nitpicking about how they are compound-eyed pokemon. In truth, compound or not, Scatterbug have at least five eyes, only two of which are on their head; the others are detachable, and typically left in the white fur on their necks.

Scatterbug usually place their detachable eyes to maximize their peripheral vision, for the deep, square pupils on their facial eyes struggle to see anything not directly in front of them; with the use all five eyes, Scatterburg can see in every direction. Yet Scatterbug eyes regenerate when lost and continue to convey information to the brain for at least twenty-four hours after being removed, so before a pokemon battle, sleep, or any other activity which must take place over limited terrain, Scatterbug will remove their three neck eyes and strategically place them to maximize their range of vision, and with it their defenses.

A Scatterbug's lower eyes do not carry pupils and can not be closed, and therefore Scatterbug never truly experience sensory isolation from their surroundings, even in sleep. Some have accused them of not truly sleeping at all, but any trainer with a hypnotized Scatterbug can refute this; they can not move while asleep, let alone fight, but they are capable of witnessing an attacker on the horizon and learning when they must rouse themselves in a hurry. For a wild Scatterbug a midnight escape is so exhausting that a clever predator need only rouse a Scatterbug, than tail it until it goes back to sleep, for it will often be too tired to save itself twice in one night; thankfully for the Scatterbug, most predators are not very clever.