Scuttlebug

Scuttlebugs (originally phrased Scuttle Bugs and once referred to as Spiders ) are round striped spider-like bugs that act as semi-recurring enemies in the Mario franchise.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
They first appeared in Super Mario 64 and later in its remake Super Mario 64 DS. They act the same as Goombas; when in range they charge at Mario, and punching and stepping on their heads defeats them. They live in Hazy Maze Cave and outside Big Boo's Haunt. The only difference between Goombas is that they give three Coins instead of just one. In the remake, Scuttlebugs were changed drastically and given their current appearance.

New Super Mario Bros.
Scuttlebugs reappear in New Super Mario Bros., hanging down from webs in World 4-1. They repeatedly move up and down, and can prove to be useful in giving some extra height by jumping off of them. They also appeared in World 8-4, where they ceaselessly drop down from the top of the stage in pairs of two. They detach from their webs almost immediately, and drop onto the ground and give chase.

Super Mario Galaxy
Scuttlebugs reappear in Super Mario Galaxy. These Scuttlebugs are striped and, unlike their bright yellow cousins, mostly dark and dull in color. Some hang from ceilings and overhangs by a thread of webbing. They appear mostly in the Space Junk Galaxy and Ghostly Galaxy, and make appearances in other galaxies like Sea Slide Galaxy and Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada. They are found in large numbers along the path leading to Tarantox. The Prima Guide calls them Spiders.

The grounded Scuttlebugs are orange and only attack by jumping into the air and floating there for several seconds before falling back to the ground in hopes of landing on Mario. The kind that hangs from ceilings is purple and swing back and forth on their threads like a pendulum in an attempt to damage the player. The grounded ones can be simply defeated by jumping on them or Spinning them, and the ones that hang from ceilings can be defeated by jumping on them or with two Spins. They give up a Coin or three Star Bits depending in how they are defeated.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Scuttlebugs reappear in Super Mario Galaxy 2, with the same appearance and behavior from the predecessor. However, unlike the previous game, they are rarer, only appearing in a few galaxies. They appeared in Yoshi Star Galaxy, Tall Trunk Galaxy, and Flip-Out Galaxy. The Prima guide calls the jumping ones Spoings, and the ones hanging from their webs Spranglers.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Scuttlebugs appear in the Nintendo 3DS game New Super Mario Bros. 2. They hang from webs, just like their New Super Mario Bros. incarnations. However, their appearance has changed; instead of being yellow with three black stripes and having black heads, they are yellow with two purple stripes and purple heads, as well as having white pincers. They appeared in World 3-3 and.

Mario Party 7
In the Mario Party 7 minigame Spider Stomp, Scuttlebugs appear, along with a Big Scuttlebug. However, they are simply known as "spiders" in the game and can shoot web projectiles. The red machine in Hop-O-Matic 4000 resembles a Scuttlebug.

Mario Party DS
Scuttlebugs appear also in Mario Party DS. They appear in only one minigame: a 2-Vs.-2 minigame named Crazy Crosshairs. Both teams must hit the Scuttlebugs with toy tanks on a spiderweb. This minigame also introduces golden Scuttlebugs, giving the team three points instead of one if hit. In the same game, the player can win a Scuttlebug Rival Badge and a Scuttlebug Trophy by getting MP Points, and look at them in Gallery Mode. The character figure information on the Scuttlebug refers to the plunger-like feet as shoes.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Scuttlebugs make their Paper Mario debut in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. They are only found in World 3, with their appearance the same as from New Super Mario Bros.. Many walk around on the ground, while others are attached to the ceiling using thread-like webs. If Mario battles a Scuttlebug on the ground, the enemy can either slam into Mario or shoot a web at him. If a hanging Scuttlebug is battled, it can only slam into Mario, but with a much higher damage ratio. The Scuttlebugs can also change their position on their strings to avoid hammer and ground attacks, similar to that of Piders and Arantulas from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Scuttlebugs hold a Wiggler Segment hostage in Rustle Burrow, an area with most of its inhabitants being Scuttlebugs.

There are also miniature Scuttlebugs that cannot be battled, but chase Mario if he gets close to them. If one of them touches Mario, he jumps lower and moves slower until it is removed, very similar to Micro Goombas in other games. They can be defeated by hitting them with a hammer, using a Super Star, or jumping on them. Defeating one results in getting a Coin or a Jump sticker, unless a Super Star is used, in which can only the Coin drops. A Big Scuttlebug also appears as a mini-boss.

Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
Scuttlebugs also appear as items in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX. The player can use them to hit other racers with spiderwebs.

Trivia

 * In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft: Wii U Edition, Spiders are replaced by Scuttlebugs, which use their New Super Mario Bros. 2 appearance.