The wings spots light up when Orbeetle lifts its shell
Orbeetle is a beetle-like Pokémon with a large head that resembles the body of a ladybug. Its shell is red with seven dark blue spots and a black underside. Six of these seven spots can glow, making concentric cyan and white rings. Orbeetle's face is black and white with yellow antennae that resemble eyebrows, cyan eyes with white rings, and a red stripe above its mouth that resembles a mustache. Its actual body is much smaller and is mostly black with thin limbs, red accents on the pelvis and legs, and sharp pointed yellow feet. It has a sharp protrusion on each of its forearms near the elbow, and its hands have two claws each.
Orbeetle are famous for their large brains and high intelligence. Its large brain is proof of the immense psychic power it possesses. Orbeetle emits its psychic powers to study and observe its surroundings, including objects over six miles (ten kilometers) away. Orbeetle rarely use their wings to fly; rather, they use their psychic powers to lift their entire bodies.[citation needed]
As Gigantamax Orbeetle, its body and brain drastically increase in size to resemble a flying saucer. Its wings disappear when in this form. The spots on its head now perpetually glow in circular cyan and white rings. Underneath Gigantamax Orbeetle's head is five half-orbs, whose colors are black at the base and gradually turn yellow at the bottom. A red ring surrounds the base of each of the half-orbs, which themselves are divided into four by the cyan rings that circle them. At the center beneath Gigantamax Orbeetle's head is a cyan half-orb connected by nine blue lines. The orb has three red clouds floating underneath it and shines a bright spotlight that can move around similar to a flying saucer. The rest of Orbeetle's body is infused into a black orb with blue lines. These lines connect to blue half circles which are connected to the head, arms, and legs.
As a result of Gigantamaxing, Orbeetle's psychic power and intelligence have become overwhelming. Should Gigantamax Orbeetle use all of its power, it can control the minds of every living being within its vicinity.
Gigantamax Orbeetle and Gigantamax Corviknight are tied for the shortest of all Gigantamax forms, at roughly 45'11" or 14 metres.
Orbeetle and its evolutionary relatives are the only three-stage evolutionary line whose members are all the same height, at 1'04" or 0.4 metres.
Origin
Orbeetle seems to be based on a ladybug, specifically Coccinella septempunctata. Given its high-level intellect, enlarged brain, and use of hypnotism and mind control, it could also be inspired by stereotypical intelligent aliens or "mad scientist" antagonists from popular science fiction.
The mind control aspect specifically could reference Dinocampus coccinellae, a wasp that lays its eggs on ladybugs. As the wasp's larva hatches and pupates, it releases a virus that paralyzes its host ladybug, controlling the ladybug into protecting it from predators; the ladybug in this state is often compared to "zombies" in many studies. Additionally, the adult of this wasp has bright blue-green eyes and a thin body, like Orbeetle but unlike ladybugs.
Orbeetle's Gigantamax form may be based on common depictions of UFOs. It may also be inspired by the steelblue ladybird, which has a similarly sloped carapace.
Name origin
Orbeetle may be a combination of orb, orbit, orbital, and lady beetle.
Eolb may be a combination of eol (Irish for knowledge) or Io (moon of Jupiter) and orb.
Psychic Seed (5%)
For other sprites and images, please see Orbeetle images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
