Stone Mite

"The name 'Stone Mite' is purely conjectural, and will be used until an official name is given."

Description
Stone Mites are bug-like enemies encountered in all three chapters of Pixeljunk Shooter.

Appearance
Stone Mites are some of the smaller enemies encountered in the game. They are composed of a round central body that provides a base for its four appendages. Three of the appendages are black, hook-like "arms" whose tips flash red when alert, and the other is a head with pinkish fangs and a single green eye. Another version of the Stone Mite, known as the "Ice Mite," exists in the second chapter of the game and uses and icy color scheme.

Behavior
Stone Mites burrow through destructible stone to reach the player in a method similar to the player's. When the player goes near certain stone deposits, a group of Stone Mites will suddenly break small spaces into the stone. They will then spin and gain momentum before shooting forward in the player's direction, destroying any destructible stone in their paths. They will repeat this process until they destroy the player. If the player goes behind an indestructible wall or exits the Mite's awareness radius, the Mite will curl up into a ball and remain immobile until provoked again.

Strategy
Stone Mites are somewhat difficult to defeat due to a variety of reasons, the first being that they always appear behind stone that must be destroyed first. This prevents the player from being able to destroy them before they are finished spinning up and gives the Mites a good chance to attack. If a group of Mites has spawned, it is beneficial to stay back and attack from a distance. Stone Mites can instantly kill players, and if you become surrounded, escaping is very difficult. The Ice Mites from the second chapter of the game are even more difficult because of the player's inability to break through ice. Baiting them out of the ice and avoiding getting cornered will allow you to destroy them without much danger.