Animal Crossing Bugs Guide

Bugs are not animals that most people would consider pleasant; if you let me near a cockroach, you can expect any nearby objects to fly as I shout and run away as far as possible. However, you cannot deny that some of them look beautiful and radical, like butterflies and ladybugs.

In Animal Crossing, bugs are one of the most important aspects of the game, alongside fish. After all, the point of the game is to connect with nature while at home (or wherever you may be, thanks to the Nintendo Switch). Catching fish and bugs is a good way to deliver that experience across the screen.

Catching them is a staple activity in the series, and it continues with the latest installment, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Thanks to this activity, I have learned how fun bug catching actually is. I also learned a lot about the bugs that I caught.

Another great thing about bug catching in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is how ethical it is; Blathers keeps them in the museum with a simulation of their natural habitat. You can take a look at them by going to the museum and strolling around. If you want to get in on the action, this guide is for you!

Bottom Line Up Front

Bugs are critters you can catch using your net in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Bug catching is a core game mechanic in the series, along with fishing.

• Total number of bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons: 80
• Bug locations: on flowers, trees, the ground, ponds, rivers, stumps, etc.
• What to do with them: sell, gift, display, make bug models, or donate them to the museum

The sections below contain intricate details about the bugs, such as the time and place they appear in, their selling price, their appearance, and more.

What are Bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, bugs are, like in real life, insects of varying sizes with identifiable characteristics such as wings, antennae, etc. Because of the wide variety of insects, you can find them in different habitats.

For example, some of them fly (like butterflies), while some are on the ground (like grasshoppers) or underground (like mole crickets). Others tend to rest on flowers (like stinkbugs), trees (like atlas moths), and stumps (like jewel beetles), while others like to chill on water (like diving beetles).

The latest entry has 80 bugs. The first game, Doubutsu no Mori, has 32 bugs, and the succeeding games add eight to the list. Catching a bug will update your Critterpedia, the app on your phone that contains details about every animal you find; the details include the months and times the bugs are active.

Where to Get Bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

You can find bugs in different places in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. To summarize, they may be:

• Flying about the area: some bugs fly around, such as the different kinds of butterflies and dragonflies. Around 21 of the 80 bugs in the game fly on the island. Some of them fly in certain environments. For example, peacock butterflies fly by hybrid flowers, and moths fly near lights.
• On trees: many insects like to chill on the tree trunks, particularly large moths like atlas moths and the different kinds of cicadas. However, some, like the different kinds of beetles, prefer specific kinds of trees. In the case of beetles, they tend to hang around palm trees.
• Within trees: other insects like to chill among the branches of the trees instead of on the tree trunks. To get them out of the branches, you need to shake the trees. Insects you can get through shaking trees include bagworms, spiders, and wasps.
• On tree stumps: four kinds of beetles prefer going to tree stumps; they are the jewel beetle, violin beetle, citrus long-horned beetle, and rosalia batesi beetle. So, you need to cut down some trees and leave the stumps on the ground to attract them.
• On flowers: some bugs and mantises like to sit on flowers; they are the mantis, orchid mantis, stinkbug, man-faced stink bug, and ladybug. If you want to attract them, you need to plant some flowers. The orchid mantis is only attracted to white flowers, though.
• On the ground: many bugs walk, hop, or crawl on the ground, like the different kinds of beetles, locusts, grasshoppers, and crickets. Tarantulas and scorpions also wander on the ground; they will chase and hurt you, so be careful.
• Underground: only one insect appears underground. Thus, unlike the other bugs, you need to use your shovel first to unearth it before you can catch it with your net. This bug is the mole cricket.
• On rivers and ponds: three insects are available on ponds and rivers. You still need a net to catch it; thus, you can only catch them when they are near land. If they are in a middle of a giant pond, you must wait for them to get near you. They are the pondskater, diving beetle, and giant water bug.
• Disguised as other objects on the ground: these insects are special because they blend in the environment as other in-game items. They are the walking leaf, insects that disguise themselves as leaves under trees, and hermit crabs, insects disguised as shells on the beach.
• On special surfaces: three insects sit on special surfaces; wharf roaches appear on the rocks at the beach. Snails appear on bushes and rocks, but only when it is raining. Fleas appear from time to time on villagers’ heads. You need nets to catch them all.
• In rocks: the rocks that you hit your shovel or axe with to get stone and ores also contain bugs. You need to hit the rocks first to let them out. Once they are out, you need to switch to your net to catch them. These insects are the pill bugs and centipedes.
• On items: two insects are attracted to certain items instead of natural features like flowers or trees. Flies are attracted to trash items like trash bags, while ants are attracted to rotten food. These items must be on the ground to attract their respective insects.

Note that many of these bugs are only available at specific times of the day. For example, the common butterfly is only available from 4 AM to 7 PM. Also, many of them are only available in specific months, and it depends if you are in the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere.

For example, the common butterfly is available from September to June in the Northern Hemisphere but available from March to December in the Southern Hemisphere. I have noted down all these details for all the insects in the sections below.

How to Catch Bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

To catch bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you need to have a net. There are many types of nets, all with varying durability. Some of them can only be made, while some can be bought from various stores like Nook’s Cranny. The various nets are as follows:

The sturdiest net is the golden net, but it is incredibly hard to get because you need to catch all the bugs first. You can customize the customizable nets by going to a workbench. Note that you need customization kits to do it.

While you can catch bugs with nets, some require other tools first. For example, you need to use your shovel first to unearth mole crickets underground. After they pop out, you can switch to your net to catch them.

Another example is centipedes or pill bugs, as you need to hit a rock first to make them jump out from the rocks. Hitting a rock with a net is too weak, so you must use your shovel or axe for this task.

If the golden net is available for you, and you have plenty of iron and gold nuggets, then it is the best choice as it is the sturdiest. However, if you are like me and have not caught all bugs yet, you need to consider your resources first.

If you are filthy rich from selling turnips at a high price, as my previous save, you can opt to buy nets instead since Bells are dispensable in such a scenario. You can use your tree branches and iron nuggets on other DIY recipes instead if you use this method.

However, if you have been grinding hard to get a lot of tree branches and iron nuggets, you can opt to craft them instead. This method is especially useful if you hit your storage capacity and you need to get rid of excess materials. Thus, check the resources you have and pick whichever you are rich in.

Tips for Catching Bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Catching bugs is a straightforward task; you simply need to swing your net to catch them, unlike in Pokémon, where you need to throw a Poké Ball and hope that they will not come out for the hundredth time. If you are having a hard time, though, here are some tips I can give you to make it easier.

• Equip your net, hold the A button, and tilt your left joystick gently to make your character slowly walk toward a bug while holding the net in anticipation. This movement is useful if the bug you are trying to catch gets away every time you try to catch them.
• While walking slowly and holding the net, occasionally stop. Some bugs will fly away from you even if you walk slowly. I suggest walking three steps and stopping for a short amount of time, and doing it again until you get close enough.
• Do not hastily run around if you attempt to catch some bugs, as they are easily scared by it and will fly away.
• Visit mystery islands and manipulate the environment to make certain insects appear. For example, if you want to attract jewel beetles, cut down all the trees to turn them into tree stumps. Jewel beetles are attracted to tree stumps, so the chance of them appearing will increase.
• If you are hunting for a specific bug, you can chase or scare away the bugs that you do not want. Only a certain number of bugs can exist on your island. By making the undesirable bugs disappear, another bug can spawn.
• If you are catching bugs to sell them for Bells, I suggest catching tarantulas or scorpions because they sell for 8000 Bells each. Some rare beetles, like the golden stag and giraffe stag, sell more, but they are incredibly hard to find.
• When dealing with scorpions and tarantulas, you can dig holes in the ground. Once they chase you, jump over the holes; they cannot do the same. I suggest digging three to five holes around an empty space you can jump to. You can also dig eight holes around if you want to be extra careful. Once they get stuck due to the holes, catch them with your net.
• Always be aware of the time and month you are playing. Sometimes, time slips away fast; if you forget the time while waiting for a bug that only appears in a specific time slot, you might waste your time finding them.

What to do with Bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Donate Bugs to the Museum

When catching a kind of bug for the first time, my natural instinct as an Animal Crossing player is to donate it to the museum. If you donate it, the museum will showcase it in its natural habitat. For example, all the butterflies get sent to a special butterfly room in the museum.

To donate a bug, go inside the museum and speak to Blathers. Then, select “make a donation” among the options. A selection pane of your inventory (a.k.a., your pocket) will show up; select the bugs you want to donate. If you donate only one bug, Blathers can explain it to you.

Sell them to Nook’s Cranny or Flick

There are only two potential buyers for your bugs: Nook’s Cranny and Flick. If you sell it to Tim and Tom in Nook’s Cranny, you will get the bug’s normal selling price. If you are desperate to sell the bug, but the Nook’s Cranny is closed for the day, you can drop it off at the drop box in front of the store.

Note, though, that you will only get 80% of the bug’s selling price. Also, the earnings you get through this method will only come to your bank account the next day. If you sell it to Flick, though, you get 150% of the bug’s normal selling price.

Give Bugs to Villagers as a Gift

If you are low on ideas on what to give your villagers today, you can give them bugs instead! Villagers will accept bugs as gifts, and they will not complain. You might even get a new item from them as thanks, like a piece of clothing or furniture.

Display Your Bugs

After catching a bug, you can display them on an available surface like the ground or a table. They will be contained in various containers depending on their size. Generally, bugs are kept inside small, 1×1, see-through plastic containers. Some are bigger in size, though.

You can dedicate a room in your house to displaying bugs. You can also display bugs to fit an area’s aesthetic. For example, putting a grasshopper display in a room with a wooden motif would work well.

Make Bug Models

During Flick’s visit, you can commission him to make a bug model. However, you need to have three specimens of the same bug. After commissioning him, the bug model will arrive in your mail the next day; you can display this bug model on your island.

All Bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

After catching a bug for the first time of its kind, you can donate it to the museum. If not, you can sell them to Tim and Tom at Nook’s Cranny or to Flick. Selling it at Nook’s Cranny will net you the normal selling price, but selling it to Flick will give you 150% of it.

Below is a complete list of all the bugs in the game, including their location, the weather they will appear in, and their availability by month and hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Bug catching is a simple task, but there are difficulties when dealing with some of them, like tarantulas and scorpions. If you want to completely catch all the bugs in the game, you need to have full dedication. You must be aware of the hour, month, and weather if you want to catch something specific.

The most common bugs you will find will be the butterflies and moths, as many of them are available all year round or over long spans of time. You might encounter issues in finding rarer insects; always remember to walk slowly and occasionally stop when trying to catch these bugs.

I am a fan of bug catching in the Animal Crossing series because it reminds me of my childhood days. During the summer, I would return to my hometown and find various bugs like beetles and cicadas. I think the game did a great job of conveying this feeling to its audience. Have fun bug-catching!

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Arthur Monteclar

Arthur is a writer for Creature Crossings and a huge fan of Animal Crossing. Although the first Animal Crossing game he ever played was New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch, he has spent too much time playing it. He believes that the game’s therapeutic and calming nature is what people need amidst all the chaos in the world. Arthur has been in the writing business for years now, and he loves writing about his hobbies, one of which is video games. He is also a software programmer, so he understands the craft and effort invested in the gaming medium. He is also fond of manga and anime, being an avid follower of One Piece and Kaguya-Sama, to name a few.

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