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Shearwig Swarm

Shearwigs (トビンコ) are enemies found in all  four Pikmin games. The females of this species aren't seen, as according to Olimar's notes, they spend their entire life underground, somewhat similar to cicadas. They also do not possess the male's wings. The males have a dark green shell, sporting simple bug-like wings and large, sickle-shaped mandibles. They are more aggressive than Male Sheargrubs, and take leave of the ground to hover up high after having lost at least half of their health to allow it to steadily return. While up in the air, these creatures are still within the reach of a Pikmin throw, of which just one accurate button-press is enough to kill them.

When flying, Shearwigs are given the chance to regenerate health. In Pikmin, Shearwigs have enormous health regeneration. Pikmin 2 gives them slow health regeneration, but their health regeneration is much larger when in flight.

Like other Mandiblards, Shearwigs have an affinity for chewing apart stick bridges, and they lose health while in water. The beasts fly up out of the water after losing half of their health, so this cannot kill them unless they bite onto a Pikmin while in the water. If they are hit directly with a Pikmin, they will die instantly, just like a Dwarf Bulborb. Another method is to throw Purple Pikmin onto a Shearwig; this tactic is rather effective, and will stun other Shearwigs in the area.

In Pikmin 2, these enemies deal the most amount of damage to a captain, with the damage about 1/3 of the health without the Justice Alloy, and about 1/4 with the Justice Alloy. Shearwigs also have much more health than its relatives in Pikmin 2.

In Pikmin 2's 2-Player Mode, Shearwigs may sometimes pop out when the player digs up a yellow marble.

In Pikmin 3, Shearwigs are illusions created by the Plasm Wraith, so there is no real Shearwig in the game. They also gain the ability to swoop down and grab Pikmin while in flight, making them somewhat more dangerous. Also, they will now fly almost all the time while fighting, not just to regain health, as they do in the previous games. This makes them easy to strike down and deal good damage to, and makes them easy targets for Winged Pikmin.

Shearwigs make an appearance in Hey! Pikmin, but only during the battle against the Queen Shearwig. They surround their queen in the air and swoop down to attack Olimar and his Pikmin. They do not get their own entry in the Creature Log.

Notes[]

Reel notes[]

"The males of this species are able to fly, but the females remain underground."

Olimar's Notes[]

"Unusual for their genus, flying mandiblards have retained their wings. However, only the adult males of this species can fly. Females of this species spend most of their life span underground. They do emerge for a period after maturation to spawn, but never metamorphose."

Louie's Notes[]

"Grate this beast into a zest and whisk with sugar, cream, and chopped dark chocolate for a lusciously indulgent mousse that's a true culinary coup de grace!"

Nintendo Player's Guide[]

"Shearwigs are essentially Male Sheargrubs with wings. You can pluck a Shearwig from the air with a toss of a single Pikmin, then defeat it quickly with a small swarm. Although it takes some effort to aim and fire at the little bugs, they provide a good source of Pikmin sprouts."

Pikmin 3 Prima Guide[]

"These creatures behave much like Male Sheargrubs, burrowing underground and waiting to attack unsuspecting prey. Once above ground, however, Shearwigs fly into the air and attack your Pikmin from above. When you encounter a group of Shearwigs, move out of range and attack the enemies from a distance. During prolonged battles, Shearwigs will shake their attackers by burrowing underground. Don’t let your guard down until you’re sure the area is clear of enemies."

Alph's Notes[]

Brittany's Notes[]

Charlie's Notes[]

Dalmo's Notes[]

Minor glitches[]

In Pikmin, there is a visual glitch that can happen when the Shearwigs in The Distant Spring by the Massage Machine are hiding underground. If they are hiding right on the ledge that goes into the water, they can be seen above ground, completely motionless.

In the same game, Pikmin that are thrown or ordered into an area where Shearwigs are under the ground attack the ground as if something were there (similarly to the way White Pikmin unearth buried treasure). However, the Shearwigs will not come to the surface unless Captain Olimar moves near enough. This is useful for when Pikmin need to carry objects through an area with Shearwigs or Sheargrubs (such as the Guard Satellite or the Extraordinary Bolt), as the enemies won't attack the Pikmin. This can also be used to indicate whether any Mandiblards lie ahead.

Sometimes in Pikmin 2 two-player battles, a glitch will occur and the Shearwigs will move at a greatly accelerated speed. This makes them very dangerous, as a small group of them can then kill a lone leader in just a few seconds. When this glitch happens, the best idea is to either swarm the speedy Shearwigs with a large group of pikmin, or use an Ultra-Bitter spray. Beware that the amount of time they remain in the air decreases as well!

Battle Strategy[]

Pikmin[]

The best way to kill a Shearwig is to land a Pikmin directly on top of one; this will instantly kill it. Another way is to swarm it with a large group of Pikmin, but this can be risky, as the Shearwig can grab and eat Pikmin quickly. If the creature takes flight, just knock it down by throwing any kind of Pikmin at it, and it will take great damage. This must be done quickly, however, because if a Shearwig is given too much time in the air, it will restore a great amount of its health. Another method of killing them is to simply have Olimar punch it quickly and repeatedly while dodging attacks. If done right, the Shearwig will attempt to bite Olimar, (and miss), not having enough time to lift off, and will die. An alternate strategy is to attempt to drown the ones found in The Distant Spring. They fly out of the water once drowned to half of their health, but they are unable to fly for an infinite amount of time, so when they return, they may have no choice but to succumb to the water.

Pikmin 2[]

Shearwigs are rather unchanged and can be taken out using the same strategy that is effective in Pikmin. Purple Pikmin are recommended because they have a homing attack. They may also now be used to stun large groups of the enemies, which is quite helpful considering that a Shearwig is seldom found alone.

Pikmin 3[]

Shearwigs now take flight the moment they emerge from the ground, making them easy targets for Winged Pikmin. All the other kinds of Pikmin work well, too; if a Shearwig is hit, it will fall to the ground and become very vulnerable while struggling to get back up. At this point, it will have only about a third of its health left, so getting a few Pikmin to attack it will ensure its defeat. If one wishes to defeat a group of Shearwigs as quick as possible, Rock Pikmin are the best, as they will kill the airborne Shearwigs on impact.

Hey! Pikmin[]

Shearwigs appear exclusively in Sector 5-E; Troop Commander, where they protect their queen during the battle. They attack by spinning around like a drill and rushing into Olimar and his Pikmin. They die in one hit, but once they start spinning, any Pikmin thrown at them will die. Shearwigs in this game are also a much lighter shade of green than in other games.

Pikmin 4[]

Gallery[]

Main Article: Shearwig/Gallery.

Trivia[]

  • Using an Action Replay to access a model test menu in Pikmin, the Shearwig's code name is "kabejuiC". In this same model viewer, the Shearwig has no wings.
    • The enemy's Japanese name is a portmanteau of the words 飛び tobi, meaning "to fly"; and ウジンコ, the Japanese name for the Sheargrub enemies.
  • The Shearwig is based on the real-life insect known as the Earwig, which has large mandibles and also has wings.
  • The Shearwig, along with the Spotty Bulbear and Gatling Groink, are the only enemies that regenerate their health.
  • The Pikmin 3, Shearwig appears to have an exoskeleton on its mandibles and face instead of its whole body like in the previous games in the series.
  • In Pikmin 3's story mode, Shearwigs appear only at the Formidable Oak. Since the creatures found in this area are merely illusions of the Plasm Wraith, it could be said that the Shearwig is never truly seen in the Story.
  • When in water, Shearwigs lose health very quickly. This is useful advice in Distant Spring in Pikmin.
  • In Pikmin 2's 2-P Battle, 3 Shearwigs have the chance of being spawned from one yellow marble in the play area (after it has been unearthed.)


Enemies and plants
Pikmin
Armored Cannon Beetle | Beady Long Legs | Breadbug | Burrowing Snagret | Candypop Bud | Dwarf Bulbear | Dwarf Red Bulborb | Emperor Bulblax | Fiery Blowhog | Female Sheargrub | Goolix | Honeywisp | Iridescent Flint Beetle | Mamuta | Pearly Clamclamp | Pellet Posy | Puffstool | Puffy Blowhog | Male Sheargrub | Shearwig | Smoky Progg | Spotty Bulbear | Swooping Snitchbug | Red Bulborb | Water Dumple | Wolpole | Wollyhop | Yellow Wollyhop
Pikmin 2
Red Bulborb | Hairy Bulborb | Orange Bulborb | Dwarf Bulbear | Spotty Bulbear | Fiery Bulblax | Emperor Bulblax | Empress Bulblax | Bulborb Larva | Water Dumple | Bulbmin | Breadbug | Giant Breadbug | Dwarf Red Bulborb | Dwarf Orange Bulborb | Snow Bulborb | Fiery Blowhog | Watery Blowhog | Puffy Blowhog | Withering Blowhog | Fiery Dweevil | Anode Dweevil | Caustic Dweevil | Munge Dweevil | Volatile Dweevil | Titan Dweevil | Beady Long Legs | Man-at-Legs | Raging Long Legs | Burrowing Snagret | Pileated Snagret | Armored Cannon Beetle Larva | Decorated Cannon Beetle | Segmented Crawbster | Hermit Crawmad | Male Sheargrub | Female Sheargrub | Shearwig | Doodlebug | Iridescent Glint Beetle | Iridescent Flint Beetle | Cloaking Burrow-nit | Ravenous Whiskerpillar | Skitter Leaf | Careening Dirigibug | Swooping Snitchbug | Bumbling Snitchbug | Antenna Beetle | Anode Beetle | Lesser Spotted Jellyfloat | Greater Spotted Jellyfloat | Toady Bloyster | Ranging Bloyster | Wolpole | Yellow Wollyhop | Wollyhop | Creeping Chrysanthemum | Unmarked Spectralid | Honeywisp | Mitite | Gatling Groink | Mamuta | Waterwraith | Crimson Candypop Bud | Golden Candypop Bud | Lapis Lazuli Candypop Bud | Violet Candypop Bud | Ivory Candypop Bud | Queen Candypop Bud | Pellet Posy | Common Glowcap | Glowstem | Clover | Figwort | Dandelion | Seeding Dandelion | Horsetail | Foxtail | Margaret | Fiddlehead | Shoot | Burgeoning Spiderwort
Pikmin 3
Arachnode | Arctic Cannon Larva | Armored Cannon Larva | Armored Mawdad | Bearded Amprat | Bug-Eyed Crawmad | Bulborb | Burrowing Snagret | Calcified Crushblat | Desiccated Skitter Leaf | Dwarf Bulbear | Dwarf Red Bulborb | Dwarf Orange Bulborb | Female Sheargrub | Fiery Blowhog | Flighty Joustmite | Hermit Crawmad | Iridescent Flint Beetle | Joustmite | Male Sheargrub | Medusal Slurker | Necterous Dandelfly | Orange Bulborb | Peckish Aristocrab | Pellet Posy | Phosbat | Plasm Wraith | Puckering Blinnow | Puffy Blowhog | Pyroclasmic Slooch | Quaggled Mireclops | Red Spectralid | Sandbelching Meerslug | Scornet | Scornet Maestro | Shaggy Long Legs | Shearwig | Skeeterskate | Skitter Leaf | Skutterchuck | Spotty Bulbear | Sputtlefish | Swarming Sheargrub | Swooping Snitchbug | Toady Bloyster | Vehemoth Phosbat | Waddlepus | Water Dumple | Watery Blowhog | Whiptongue Bulborb | White Spectralid | Wolpole | Yellow Spectralid | Yellow Wollyhop
Pikmin 4
Albino Dwarf Bulborb | Ancient Sirehound | Anode Beetle | Arctic Cannon Beetle | Arctic Cannon Larva | Aristocrab Offspring | Armored Cannon Larva | Baldy Long Legs | Bearded Amprat | Blizzarding Blowhog | Bloomcap Bloyster | Bogswallow | Breadbug | Bug-Eyed Crawmad | Bulborb | Burrowing Snagret | Chillyhop | Creeping Chrysanthemum | Crusted Rumpup | Desiccated Skitter Leaf | Doodlebug | Downy Snagret | Dwarf Bulbear | Dwarf Bulborb | Dwarf Frosty Bulborb | Dweevil | Emperor Bulblax | Enemy | Fiery Blowhog | Fiery Bulblax | Foolix | Freezecake | Frosty Bulborb | Giant Breadbug | Gildemander | Gildemandwee | Groovy Long Legs | Grubchucker | Hermit Crawmad | Horned Cannon Beetle | Hydro Dweevil | Iceblown Dweevil | Icy Blowhog | Joustmite | Jumbo Bulborb | Mama Sheargrub | Mammoth Snootwhacker | Mamuta | Man-at-Legs | Miniature Snootwhacker | Mitite | Moldy Dwarf Bulborb | Moldy Slooch | Moss | Muckerskate | Pearly Clamclamp | Porquillion | Puckering Blinnow | Puffy Blowhog | Pyroclasmic Slooch | Red Spectralid | Scorchcake | Shearflea | Shearwig | Shockcake | Skutterchuck | Smoky Progg | Snavian | Snowfake Fluttertail | Snowy Blowhog | Sovereign Bulblax | Spotty Bulbear | Startle Spore | Sunsquish | Titan Blowhog | Toady Bloyster | Toxstool | Tusked Blowhog | Venom Dweevil | Waddlepus | Waddlequaff | Waterwraith | Watery Blowhog | Wollyhop | Wolpole | Yellow Wollyhop
Hey! Pikmin
Adult Centipare | Armurk | Berserk Leech Hydroe | Blubbug | Bulborb | Centipare | Clicking Slurker | Coppeller | Crammed Wraith | Crested Mockiwi | Crumbug | Crystalline Crushblat | Electric Cottonade | Electric Spectralid | Electripede | Elongated Crushblat | Emperor Bulblax | Eye-Stalker Bulbeel | Fiery Blowhog | Fiery Blowlet | Fiery Dwarf Bulblax | Fiery Young Yellow Wollywog | Fireflap Bulborb | Fireflinger Groink | Firesnout Beetle | Flatterchuck | Flying Spotted Jellyfloat | Grabbit | Large Splurchin | Long Water Dumple | Luring Slurker | Male Sheargrub | Mockiwi | Muggonfly | Puckering Blinnow | Puffstalk | Puffy Blubbug | Queen Shearwig | Red Bubblimp | Seedbagger | Shearblug | Shearwig | Shooting Spiner (Female) | Shooting Spiner (Male) | Skutterchuck | Sparrowhead | Speargrub | Spiny Coppeller | Sporegrub | Spornet | Starnacle | Stony Flint Beetle | Stuffed Bellbloom | Swooping Snitchbug | Widemouthed Anode Beetle | Yellow Wollyhop | Young Yellow Wollywog
Families
Amphituber | Arachnorb | Breadbug family | Blowhog | Candypop Bud | Chrysanthemum family | Dweevil | Glowcap family | Grub-dog | Jellyfloat | Lithopod | Mandiblard | Mollusking | Snavian | Unknown Family
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