Beetle

Beetle
Pinball render
Featured in	Metroid Prime Metroid Prime Pinball
Knownlocales	Tallon Overworld Chozo Ruins
Known worlds	Tallon IV
Behavior	Normally active below ground, emerges to attack surface intruders
Attacks	Leaps at foes with jaws
Weakness	Any weapons fire

Beetles are an insect species appearing in Metroid Prime, native to Tallon IV. Predatory tunnel diggers, Beetles live in soft earth and often spring up on unsurprising prey. They are also very territorial and extremely aggressive, attacking much larger organisms like Samus. They are equipped with powerful mandibles with which they use to kill and ingest food. The mouth of the Beetle is also for travel as they use it to burrow through solid rock at high speeds. Samus encounters them in Metroid Prime, where they can be found in the Tallon Overworld and in the Chozo Ruins. Beetles sometimes make an odd pig-like squeal.

Metroid Prime Pinball features the species in the Mini-Game Beetle Blast.

Ice Beetle

Ice Beetles, a related species, can be found in Phendrana as well. They have reinforced ice carapaces, which provides extra protection and augmented burrowing strength and abilities, and they despise any type of heat. Usage of any beam, excluding the Ice Beam, causes it to flee back into the ground, although the Plasma Beam makes short work of them (they even have a special death animation used for it). Ice Beetles burrow quickly and are even faster in their attacks, so getting hits against them are difficult. They are short-lived enemies, appearing in only one or two areas in the game and in small numbers.

Plated Beetle

A Plated Beetle challenges Samus in the Ruined Shrine.

There is also a larger species related to the Beetle called the Plated Beetle that is also found in the Chozo Ruins. This Plated Beetle species is potentially a fully grown "Alpha Beetle", the reason being that these larger variants start appearing in areas where regular Beetles were initially found. These have many distinct differences, such as a plated exterior, and a vulnerable abdomen at the rear.

Official data

Logbook entries

Template:Infobox Logbook

Official Metroid Prime website

"The Beetle is an extremely aggressive burrowing insect. Its massive mouth enables it to tunnel through solid rock at high speeds. Above ground, Beetles can cover short distances rapidly. They attack anything that moves near their lair.

The Beetle is a heavily armored insect with highly developed jaws and a resilient carapace."

Metroid Prime Pinball manual

"A burrowing creature that attacks by charging its prey."

Gallery

Concept art

Early version of Metroid Prime with "Beetal" name.

Beetle scan

Several Beetles emerge to defend their territory in the Ruined Shrine.

Metroid Prime (comic) in Nintendo Power.