Subterranean Swarm in Pikmin 4 is a cave that can be found in Primordial Thicket. See all treasures, castaways, and onion locations in Subterranean Swarm, the bosses and enemies found in it, as well as how to reach it, its map, and tips and strategies on how to complete it 100%.

Subterranean Swarm Map and Overview

Map

Map Location
Overworld Location

Overview

Location	Primordial Thicket
Castaways	2
Treasures	13
Onions	0
Pikmin	Purple Pikmin White Pikmin

How to Reach Subterranean Swarm

Destroy the Mushroom to Remove the Sticky Mold

The entrance to the Subterranean Swarm is covered with sticky mold. Use your Pikmin to destroy the mushroom nearby to remove the sticky mold surrounding the area.

Subterranean Swarm Bosses and Enemies

Bosses

Horned Cannon Beetle

Horned Cannon Beetle

To expose the Horned Cannon Beetle's weak point, throw a Pikmin when it is inhaling. Move towards its back and wait for its wings to open. Throw Pikmin towards its weak point or use Oatchi's Rush ability to deal damage.

Sovereign Bulblax

Sovereign Bulblax

Sovereign Bulblax's only weak point is its face and the rest of its body cannot be damaged. Use Oatchi's Rush ability and position yourself diagonally towards its face to deal damage. Avoid rushing straight towards its face as there is a chance that you may get eaten.

List of All Bosses

Enemies

Shearwig	Swooping Snitchbug	Armored Cannon Larva	Joustmite
Arachnode	Shearflea	Flighty Joustmite	Doodlebug
Grubchucker

List of All Enemies

Subterranean Swarm Treasure Locations

Sublevel 1

Jump to a Sublevel
Sublevel 1	Sublevel 2	Sublevel 3
Sublevel 4	Sublevel 5	-

Subterranean Swarm Sublevel 1 Map
All Treasures
1	Sphere of Calm Sparklium: 110	Throw the Pikmin towards the treasure to drop it from the ceiling.
2	Hoop of Healing Sparklium: 130	Defeat the Arachnode and collect the treasure.
3	Hoop of Fortune Sparklium: 130	Defeat the Arachnode and collect the treasure.

Use Purple Candypop Bud to Increase the Number of Purple Pikmin

1st Location
2nd Location

There are two Purple Candypop Buds on the 1st sublevel of Subterranean Swarm. Use the buds to increase the number of Purple Pikmin you have to 10.

How to Get More Purple Pikmin

Sublevel 2

Jump to a Sublevel
Sublevel 1	Sublevel 2	Sublevel 3
Sublevel 4	Sublevel 5	-

Subterranean Swarm Sublevel 2 Map
All Treasures
1	Spouse Alert Sparklium: 70	Pick it up from the ground.
2	Belted Delicacy Sparklium: 80	Pick it up from the ground.

Use White Candypop Bud to Increase the Number of White Pikmin

There is a White Candypop Bud at the 2nd sublevel that you can use to increase the number of White Pikmin you have to 5.

How to Get More White Pikmin

Sublevel 3

Jump to a Sublevel
Sublevel 1	Sublevel 2	Sublevel 3
Sublevel 4	Sublevel 5	-

Subterranean Swarm Sublevel 3 Map
All Treasures
1	Back-at-the-Beginning Track Sparklium: 110	Destroy the mushrooms and collect the treasure.
2	Creativity Conduit Sparklium: 110	Appears after defeating the boss.

Use Purple Candypop Bud to Increase the Number of Purple Pikmin

Use the Purple Candypop Bud on the 3rd sublevel to increase the number of Purple Pikmin to 5.

How to Get More Purple Pikmin

Sublevel 4

Jump to a Sublevel
Sublevel 1	Sublevel 2	Sublevel 3
Sublevel 4	Sublevel 5	-

Subterranean Swarm Sublevel 4 Map
All Treasures
1		Pick it up from the ground.
2	Chance Totem Sparklium: 20	Break the pot to collect treasure.
3	Mega Horn Sparklium: 250	Pick it up from the ground.
4	Gold Nugget Sparklium: 5	Collect all 15 on the ground.

Use Candypop Bud to Increase the Number of White Pikmin

1st Location
2nd Location

There are two white candypop buds on the 4th sublevel that you can use to get up to 10 White Pikmin.

How to Get More White Pikmin

Sublevel 5

Jump to a Sublevel
Sublevel 1	Sublevel 2	Sublevel 3
Sublevel 4	Sublevel 5	-

Subterranean Swarm Sublevel 5 Map
All Treasures
1	Sweet Stumble-Not Sparklium: 60	Dig it up using Pikmin or Oatchi.

Subterranean Swarm Castaway Locations

Appears After Defeating the Boss at Sublevel 5

The castaway on the 5th sublevel appears after you defeat the boss, Sovereign Bulblax.

All Castaway Locations

Subterranean Swarm Onion Locations

No Onions

There are no onions in this cave.

All Onion Locations

No Flarlics

There are no flarlics in this cave.

All Flarlic Locations

Subterranean Swarm Tips and Strategies

Subterranean Swarm Tips and Strategies
Unlock and Equip the Gunk Busters Bring as Many Rock Pikmin as Possible Destroy Poison Mushrooms with White Pikmin

Unlock and Equip the Gunk Busters

Gunk Busters

It is recommended to equip the Gunk Busters as it allows you to run around at normal speed when stepping on sticky mold. You need 240 Raw Materials to obtain this gear from The Lab.

Bring as Many Rock Pikmin as Possible

Pikmin to Bring
Rock Pikmin As many as possible	White Pikmin 10 or more	Red Pikmin Remaining Pikmin

It is recommended to bring as many Rock Pikmin as possible as they are invulnerable to skewer-type attacks from enemies. Have at least 10 White Pikmin to destroy obstacles such as Poison Mushrooms and use Red Pikmin for the remaining ones to convert them into a different Pikmin type.

Destroy Poison Mushrooms with White Pikmin

The green mushrooms on the 4th sublevel are poisonous. Use poison-resistant White Pikmin to destroy them and remove the poison.

How to Get More White Pikmin

Pikmin 4 Related Guides

List of All Cave Locations and Maps

All Rescue Command Post Caves

Rescue Command Post Cave
Burrow of Beginnings

All Sun-Speckled Terrace Caves

Sun-Speckled Terrace Caves
Last-Frost Cavern	Hectic Hollows
Crackling Cauldron	Industrial Maze
Aquiferous Summit	-

All Blossoming Arcadia Caves

Blossoming Arcadia Caves
Secluded Courtyard	Drafty Gallery
Sightless Passage	Kingdom of Beasts

All Serene Shores Caves

Serene Shores Caves
Subzero Sauna	Seafloor Resort
Below-Grade Discotheque	Engulfed Castle

All Hero's Hideaway Caves

Hero's Hideaway Caves
Plunder Palace	Doppelganger's Den
Frozen Inferno	-

All Giant's Hearth Caves

Giant's Hearth Caves
Dream Home	Ultimate Testing Range
Cradle of the Beast	-

All Primordial Thicket Caves

Primordial Thicket Caves
Subterranean Swarm	The Mud Pit
Cavern for a King	-