Para-Beetle

Para-Beetles are flying Buzzy Beetles that first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3. A very similar enemy called a Parabuzzy appears in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Super Paper Mario, and Super Mario Maker if wings are applied to Buzzy Beetles.

Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario and Luigi can hop on their back for a ride, allowing them to traverse air levels and making them one of the very few enemies that cannot be defeated by jumping on them. They are immune to fireballs, but vulnerable to Raccoon Mario's tail attacks, Stars and hammers. They are found only in Sky Land's level 5-6.

Jumping on a stationary Para-Beetle will slightly lower it, though it will gradually rise upwards again. The mobile Para-Beetles soar quickly through the skies, forcing the player to jump from Para-Beetle to Para-Beetle. Green Para-Beetles were originally going to appear in the game (as well as in the Game Boy Advance remake), where they were shown to be faster than normal Para-Beetles.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
After 19 years of absence, Para-Beetles return in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. There is also a huge new sub-species known as the Heavy Para-Beetle. If Mario steps on a regular Para-Beetle, it will start to rise to the top of the screen; if Mario jumps on a Heavy Para-Beetle, it will start to fall slowly. They only appear in World 7-6. If players jump on eight Para-Beetles consecutively without touching the ground, a 1-Up Mushroom falls from the sky. The Prima guide refers to these enemies as Parabuzzies, a similar enemy.

Unused variants of Para-Beetles and Heavy Para-Beetles that fly to the right and stand still and face the screen exist in the games files.

New Super Mario Bros. U
Para-Beetles reappear in New Super Mario Bros. U, behaving the same as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They appear in the Soda Jungle level Flight of the Para-Beetles.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Although Para-Beetles themselves do not show up in Super Mario Maker or Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, Buzzy Beetles that sport wings share a trait with them: that of being used as handy platforms. Players can stand on top of them and fetch a ride. It is also possible for them to carry towers of enemies, continuing to fly without any distress.

Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.
In the Super Mario anime Super Mario Momotarō, a female Para-Beetle becomes the first creature to join forces with Mario in his mission to rescue Princess Peach after Mario gives some food to the starving Para-Beetle. During the final battle, she aids Mario by knocking out Wendy O. Koopa with a powerful tackle and later using the same move on Bowser. After the final battle, she helps Mario return the treasures that Bowser had stolen back to their rightful owners. She is based off of the bird from Momotarō.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Para-Beetles make a couple of appearances in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, where they either fly around in numbers, acting as minions in Bowser's army as shown in "Reptiles in the Rose Garden" and "True Colors", or serve as rideable creatures for Mario, Luigi and Toad to ride on, as in the episode "7 Continents for 7 Koopas".

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In the game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Para-Beetles make a cameo appearance. There is a fountain in Rogueport Sewers that has two Para-Beetle statues on it. Also, a similar species known as Parabuzzies make their debut in this game.

Mario Golf: World Tour
Para-Beetles appear in Mario Golf: World Tour in the background of the Sky Island course, flying around.

Related enemies

 * Buzzy Beetle
 * Buzz-Bomb
 * Heavy Para-Beetle
 * Parabuzzy
 * Spiky Parabuzzy
 * Spike Top