50+ Names of Insects: Definitions, Categories, and Examples

Insects are animals with six legs and a body divided into three parts (head, thorax, abdomen). That simple rule helps you avoid common mix-ups—because creatures like spiders, ticks, centipedes, snails, and earthworms are not insects.

Names of Insects

Insects live in almost every habitat on Earth. Most species live on land, but many also live in freshwater environments, and a few are found along coastlines. You can spot them on leaves, under rocks, in soil, around lights at night, or hovering near flowers.

• Ant
• Leaf insect
• Whitefly
• Aphid
• Leaf beetle
• Water strider
• Backswimmer
• Ladybug (US) / Ladybird (UK)
• Water scorpion
• Bat bug
• Lace bug
• Wasp
• Bedbug
• Locust
• Walking stick (stick insect)
• Bee
• Tree cricket
• Beetle
• Toad bug
• Bumblebee
• Silverfish (Thysanura)
• Butterfly
• Thrips
• Caterpillar
• Termite
• Syrphid fly (hoverfly)
• Cicada
• Stonefly
• Cockchafer
• Cockroach
• Stink bug
• Coreid bug (leaf-footed bug)
• Stag beetle
• Cricket
• Dragonfly
• Snakefly
• Earwig
• Scarab beetle
• Firefly
• Plant bug
• Flea
• Fly
• Grasshopper
• Moth
• Green lacewing
• Mosquito
• Greenfly
• Mantis
• Ground beetle
• Maggot
• Grub
• Louse
• Horsefly
• Sucking louse

Insects with Examples

Ant

• Ants are social insects that live in large colonies underground.

Leaf insect

• The leaf insect blends in with leaves to hide from predators.

Whitefly

• Whiteflies can damage plants by feeding on sap and spreading disease.

Aphid

• Aphids gather on young leaves and drink plant sap.

Leaf beetle

• We found a leaf beetle chewing tiny holes in the garden plants.

Water strider

• A water strider can “walk” on water because its legs spread its weight.

Backswimmer

• The backswimmer swims upside down and catches small insects in the water.

Ladybug (US) / Ladybird (UK)

• A ladybug helps gardens by eating aphids.

Water scorpion

• The water scorpion hides among plants and hunts in shallow ponds.

Wasp

• A wasp hovered near the fruit before flying away.

Bedbug

• Bedbugs can bite at night, so we washed the sheets in hot water.

Locust

• Locusts can form huge swarms that destroy crops quickly.

Walking stick (stick insect)

• The walking stick looks like a twig, which helps it avoid being seen.

Bee

• Bees collect nectar from flowers and help pollinate plants.

Beetle

• A shiny beetle crawled across the tree bark.

Bumblebee

• A bumblebee is larger and fuzzier than many other bees.

Butterfly

• The butterfly landed gently on the flower for a moment.

Thrips

• Thrips can make leaves look silvery by scraping the surface to feed.

Caterpillar

• The caterpillar ate several leaves before forming a cocoon.

Termite

• Termites can damage wooden furniture if they are not treated.

Cicada

• In summer, cicadas make loud buzzing sounds in the trees.

Cockroach

• We kept the kitchen clean to avoid attracting cockroaches.

Dragonfly

• A dragonfly flew fast over the pond and changed direction quickly.

Earwig

• An earwig hid under the flowerpot when we lifted it.

Scarab beetle

• In ancient art, the scarab beetle is a well-known symbol.

Flea

• The dog kept scratching, so we checked for fleas.

Insects Infographics

Last Updated on February 2, 2026