It evolves into either Wormadam or Mothim starting at level 20 depending on its gender; female Burmy evolve into Wormadam, whereas male Burmy evolve into Mothim.
Burmy has three forms: Plant Cloak, Sandy Cloak, and Trash Cloak. It changes its cloak based on the environment of its last battle. In the case of female Burmy, its form determines the form of Wormadam it evolves into, which is permanent. The specifics of how an environment affects Burmy's cloak vary between games. The cloak only affects the form of Wormadam it evolves into, otherwise having no effect on gameplay.
(Specifics may differ in past games. Refer to Game data→Form data for these details.)
Burmy is a small, larval Pokémon with a black segmented body and a coiled antenna on top of its head. It has a beak-like mouth and yellow eyes. Burmy has six stubby legs: the first two pairs are black, while the back pair is yellow. There are also two white spots on its cheeks. However, Burmy's legs and cheek spots are only visible on a Burmy without a cloak.
As seen in the anime, it can uncoil the antenna on its head and wrap it around its opponent. Remoraid is a natural predator of Burmy.
Burmy has three forms: Plant Cloak, Sandy Cloak, and Trash Cloak.
Burmy is normally covered by a cloak, with three known variants that consist of either twigs and leaves, sand and mud bound by its own silk, or dust and garbage resembling pink building insulation. It will not hesitate to collect nearby materials to construct a new cloak if the old one breaks or falls off. Even if it is born where there are no cocooning materials, it somehow always ends up with a cloak. The cloak protects it from the cold and will become thinner when the weather is hot.
Plant Cloak
Sandy Cloak
Trash Cloak
Evolution
Burmy, if female, evolves into Wormadam and, if male, evolves into Mothim. When evolving into Wormadam, its form determines the form of Wormadam it evolves into, which is permanent.
If its cloak is even slightly damaged, Burmy will immediately repair it with whatever is close at hand. The Pokémon within the cloak is scrawny and vulnerable to the cold.
It creates a cloak by weaving together sand, mud, and silk it has spat out. This earthen cloak is ruined by wind and rain, so the Pokémon hides away in caves and other such places.
When confronted by a lack of other materials, Burmy will create its cloak using dust and refuse. The cloak seems to be more comfortable than one would think.
Burmy will not appear in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time until a rescue mission involving it has been completed, using a Wonder Mail code such as the following:
XR2Y #==@ JYX%
3@2F Q8FQ R@M#
Objective: Prospect with Burmy on floor 13 of Marine Resort.
Burmy has three separate forms: Plant Cloak, Sandy Cloak, and Trash Cloak. Burmy can change forms freely, changing its cloak depending on the environment in which it last participated in a battle (so Exp. Share alone will not change its form). When a Burmy evolves into Wormadam, it retains its cloak.
Apart from breeding and evolution, Burmy's cloak is purely cosmetic. Bred Burmy will have the same cloak as the mother, will be in the same cloak as a Burmy or Wormadam bred with Ditto, or will be in Plant Cloak if bred from a Mothim and a Ditto.
If a Burmy last battled outside or in tall grass, it changes into its Plant Cloak. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it will change into this form in Jubilife Village and the Obsidian Fieldlands. If female, Plant Cloak Burmy will evolve into Plant Cloak Wormadam, which is a Bug/Grass Pokémon. This cloak is composed of leaves and twigs.
If a Burmy last battled in a cave or on a beach, it changes into its Sandy Cloak. In Generation IV, it will also change into this form after battling in an area with a snow storm. In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Burmy will change into this form after battling inside the Bell Tower, the Burned Tower, or Sprout Tower, due to the towers all being internally classified as caves. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it will change into this form in the Crimson Mirelands or the Coronet Highlands. If female, Sandy Cloak Burmy will evolve into Sandy Cloak Wormadam, which is a Bug/Ground Pokémon. This cloak is composed of sand and rocks.
If a Burmy last battled in a building, it changes into its Trash Cloak. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it will change into this form in the Cobalt Coastlands and the Alabaster Icelands. If female, Trash Cloak Burmy will evolve into Trash Cloak Wormadam, which is a Bug/Steel Pokémon. This cloak is composed of pink insulation.
Multiple Burmy appeared in The Rise of Darkrai. One particular Plant Cloak Burmy surprised Ash in the garden in Alamos Town by abruptly dropping in front of his face.
Burmy's Pokédex color has changed between generations:
Prior to Generation VII, all Burmy forms were classified as gray.
In Generation VII and prior to the release of Pokémon HOME, all Burmy forms were classified as green.
After the release of HOME, Plant Cloak Burmy retains its classification as green, while Sandy Cloak and Trash Cloak Burmy are classified as brown and red, respectively.
Before Generation VIII, the Burmy family had only been obtainable with their Hidden Ability in the Pokémon Dream World. Due to the closure of the Pokémon Global Link, the Burmy family could no longer be obtained with their Hidden Ability, except by trading between games and breeding. The Burmy family's Hidden Ability can currently be obtained via the Ability Patch.
Burmy appears to be based on a bagworm, which makes cocoons by sewing together surrounding materials (usually leaves or scraps of wood) with its silk. Its evolutions into Wormadam or Mothim reflect the bagworm's natural life cycle — males will metamorphose into a flying moth, while females undergo little change and remain inside their cocoon lifelong. Its antenna may have been inspired by the gum-leaf skeletoniser.
The Trash Cloak form specifically appears to be made of fiberglass insulation, a wool-like padding that is often dyed pink — this seems to be alluded to in its Pokédex entry in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where it is described as surprisingly comfortable, due to its spongey texture. The idea of a cloak made from household materials may be inspired by household casebearer moths, whose larvae exhibit the same cloaking behaviour as bagworms, and make cloaks from dust, hair, and dirt they scavenge from homes.
Name origin
Burmy may be a combination of bag or bug and worm, with a diminutive -y.
Minomucchi may be derived from 蓑虫 minomushi (bagworm) and possibly from プチ puchi (small).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Burmy uncoiling its appendage in the anime
Burmy without its cloak
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For other sprites and images, please see Burmy images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
Burmy without cloak in Some Enchanted Sweetening!
Plant Cloak Burmy in Oak's lecture
Sandy Cloak Burmy in Oak's lecture
Trash Cloak Burmy in Oak's lecture
Sandy Cloak Burmy in Pokémon Adventures
Trash Cloak Burmy in Pokémon Adventures
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