Making sure your museum is stocked with each of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons bugs and other creepy crawlies is a big part of "completing" the game. Although we all know that there's no real end point to island life. But, catching all the Animal Crossing: New Horizons bugs is quite the task, with critters being seasonal, and sometimes incredibly shy. To be in with a chance of nabbing that gold net recipe though - the reward for catching 'em all - you'll need to know
what's fluttering when and where. The availability of each of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons bugs species also depends on which part of the world you're in.
With that in mind, we've been working across two islands to try and bring you the most complete Animal Crossing: New Horizons bug guide to date, divided up by hemisphere (north and south).
Skip to the right section for you below:
Animal Crossing New Horizons Northern Hemisphere bugs
Animal Crossing New Horizons Southern Hemisphere bugs
If you're wondering how exactly to catch bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, all you'll need is a net and good timing / aim. Just have your net out, and press A to swing it when you're near a bug. Almost all bugs will be visible fluttering or scuttling around your island, although some like the bagworm and spider will only appear when you shake a tree, descending from the boughs on a string.
It's worth nothing that some are skittish and may require you to approach carefully. You can do this by holding A down to ready your net and then creep towards the bug, only releasing A when you're in capture range.
Bugs - Northern Hemisphere
Animal Crossing New Horizons Northern Hemisphere bugs
Name | Seasonality (North Hem) | Availability (April) | Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Common Butterfly | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 4AM - 7PM | Flowers |
2 | Yellow Butterfly | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sept, Oct | 4AM - 7PM | Flying |
3 | Tiger Butterfly | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 4AM - 7PM | Flying |
4 | Peacock Butterfly | Mar, Apr, May, Jun | 4AM - 7PM | Flowers (Blue, Black, Purple) |
5 | Common Bluebottle | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug | 4AM - 7PM | Flying |
6 | Paper Kite Butterfly | All months | 9AM - 7PM | Flying |
7 | Great Purple Emperor | May, Jun, Jul, Aug | 4AM - 7PM | Flying |
8 | Monarch Butterfly | Sept, Oct, Nov | 4AM - 5PM | Flying |
9 | Emperor Butterfly | Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Dec | 5PM - 8AM | Flying |
10 | Agrias Butterfly | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 8AM - 5PM | Flying |
11 | Rajah Brooke's Birdwing | Jan, Feb, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Dec | 8AM - 5PM | Flowers (Blue, Black, Purple) |
12 | Queen Alexandra's Birdwing | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 8AM - 4PM | Flying |
13 | Moth | All months | 7PM - 4AM | Around light |
14 | Atlas Moth | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 7PM - 4AM | On trees |
15 | Madagascan Sunset Moth | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 8AM - 4PM | Flying |
16 | Long Locust | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov | 8AM - 7PM | In grass |
17 | Migratory Locust | Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov | 8AM - 7PM | In grass |
18 | Rice Grasshopper | Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov | 8AM - 7PM | In grass |
19 | Grasshopper | Jul, Aug, Sept | 8AM - 5PM | In grass |
20 | Cricket | Sept, Oct, Nov | 5PM - 8AM | In grass |
21 | Bell Cricket | Sept, Oct | 5PM - 8AM | In grass |
22 | Mantis | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov | 8AM - 5PM | Flowers |
23 | Orchid Mantis | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov | 8AM - 5PM | Flowers |
24 | Honeybee | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul | 8AM - 5PM | Flowers |
25 | Wasp | All months | All hours | Shaking trees |
26 | Brown Cicada | Jul, Aug | 8AM - 5PM | On trees |
27 | Robust Cicada | Jul, Aug | 8AM - 5PM | On trees |
28 | Giant Cicada | Jul, Aug | 8AM - 5PM | On trees |
29 | Walker Cicada | Aug, Sept | 8AM - 4PM | On trees |
30 | Evening Cicada | Jul, Aug | 4AM - 8AM, 4PM - 7PM | On trees |
31 | Cicada Shell | Jul, Aug | All hours | On trees |
32 | Red Dragonfly | Sept, Oct | 8AM - 7PM | Flying |
33 | Darner Dragonfly | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct | 8AM - 5PM | Flying |
34 | Banded Dragonfly | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct | 8AM - 5PM | Flying |
35 | Damselfly | Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec | All hours | Flying |
36 | Firefly | Jun | 7PM - 4AM | Above freshwater |
37 | Mole Cricket | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Nov, Dec | All hours | Underground |
38 | Pondskater | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 8AM - 7PM | In rivers |
39 | Diving Beetle | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 8AM - 7PM | In rivers |
40 | Giant Water Beetle | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 7PM - 8AM | Ponds and rivers |
41 | Stinkbug | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct | All hours | On trees |
42 | Man-faced Stink Bug | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct | 7PM - 8AM | Flowers |
43 | Ladybug | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct | 8AM - 5PM | Flowers |
44 | Tiger Beetle | Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct | All hours | Flying |
45 | Jewel Beetle | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug | All hours | On trees |
46 | Citrus Long-horned Beetle | All months | All hours | Tree stumps |
47 | Rosalia Batesi Beetle | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | All hours | Tree stumps |
48 | Blue Weevil Beetle | Jul, Aug | All hours | On trees |
49 | Violin Beetle | May, Jun, Sept, Oct, Nov | All hours | On trees |
50 | Dung Beetle | Jan, Feb, Dec | All hours | Ground |
51 | Earth-boring Dung Beetle | Jul, Aug, Sept | All hours | Ground |
52 | Scarab Beetle | Jul, Aug | 11PM - 8AM | On trees |
53 | Drone Beetle | Jun, Jul, Aug | All hours | On trees |
54 | Goliath Beetle | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
55 | Saw Stag | Jul, Aug | All hours | On trees |
56 | Miyama Stag | Jul, Aug | All hours | On trees |
57 | Giant Stag | Jul, Aug | 11PM - 8AM | On trees |
58 | Rainbow Stag | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 7PM - 8AM | On trees |
59 | Cyclommatus Stag | Jul, Aug | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
60 | Golden Stag | Jul, Aug | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
61 | Giraffe Stag | Jul, Aug | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
62 | Horned Dynastid | Jul, Aug | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
63 | Horned Atlas | Jul, Aug | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
64 | Horned Elephant | Jul, Aug | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
65 | Horned Hercules | Jul, Aug | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
66 | Walking Stick | Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov | 4AM - 8AM, 5PM - 7PM | On trees |
67 | Walking Leaf | Jul, Aug, Sept | All hours | On ground by trees |
68 | Bagworm | All months | All hours | Shaking trees |
69 | Ant | All months | All hours | On rotten turnips and fruit |
70 | Hermit Crab | All months | 7PM - 8AM | On beach |
71 | Wharf Roach | All months | All hours | On beach rocks |
72 | Fly | All months | All hours | On rotten food and garbage |
73 | Mosquito | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept | 5PM - 4AM | Flying |
74 | Flea | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov | All hours | On flea-infested villagers |
75 | Snail | All months | All hours | On rocks |
76 | Pillbug | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 11PM - 4PM | Hitting rocks |
77 | Centipede | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 4PM - 11PM | Hitting rocks |
78 | Spider | All months | 7PM - 8AM | Shaking trees |
79 | Tarantula | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec | 7PM - 4AM | Ground |
80 | Scorpion | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct | 7PM - 4AM | Ground |
Bugs - Southern Hemisphere
Animal Crossing New Horizons Southern Hemisphere bugs
Name | Seasonality (South Hem) | Availability | Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Common Butterfly | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 4AM - 7PM | Flowers |
2 | Yellow Butterfly | Mar, Apr, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 4AM - 7PM | Flying |
3 | Tiger Butterfly | Jan, Feb, Mar, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 4AM - 7PM | Flying |
4 | Peacock Butterfly | Mar, Apr, May, Jun | 4AM - 7PM | Flowers (Blue, Black, Purple) |
5 | Common Bluebottle | Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, Dec | 4AM - 7PM | Flying |
6 | Paper Kite Butterfly | All months | 8AM - 7PM (April) | Flying |
7 | Great Purple Emperor | May, Jun, Jul, Aug | 4AM - 7PM | Flying |
8 | Monarch Butterfly | Mar, Apr, May | 4AM - 5PM | Flying |
9 | Emperor Butterfly | Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Dec | 5PM - 8AM | Flying |
10 | Agrias Butterfly | Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 5PM | Flying |
11 | Rajah Brooke's Birdwing | Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Jul, Aug, Oct, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 5PM | Flowers (Blue, Black, Purple) |
12 | Queen Alexandra's Birdwing | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 4PM | Flying |
13 | Moth | All year round | 7PM - 4AM | Around light |
14 | Atlas Moth | Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec | 7PM - 4AM | On trees |
15 | Madagascan Sunset Moth | Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 4PM | Flying |
16 | Long Locust | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 7PM | In grass |
17 | Migratory Locust | Feb, Mar, Apr, May | 8AM - 7PM | In grass |
18 | Rice Grasshopper | Feb, Mar, Apr, May | 8AM - 7PM | In grass |
19 | Grasshopper | Jan, Feb, Mar | 8AM - 5PM | In grass |
20 | Cricket | Mar, Apr, May | 5PM - 8AM | In grass |
21 | Bell Cricket | Mar, Apr | 5PM - 8AM | In grass |
22 | Mantis | Jan, Mar, Apr, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 5PM | Flowers |
23 | Orchid Mantis | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 5PM | Flowers |
24 | Honeybee | Jan, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 5PM | Flowers |
25 | Wasp | All months | All hours | Shaking trees |
26 | Brown Cicada | Jan, Feb | 8AM - 5PM | On trees |
27 | Robust Cicada | Jan, Feb | 8AM - 5PM | On trees |
28 | Giant Cicada | Jan, Feb | 8AM - 5PM | On trees |
29 | Walker Cicada | Feb, Mar | 8AM - 4PM | On trees |
30 | Evening Cicada | Jan, Feb | 4AM - 8AM, 4PM - 7PM | On trees |
31 | Cicada Shell | Jan, Feb | All hours | On trees |
32 | Red Dragonfly | Mar, Apr | 8AM - 7PM | Flying |
33 | Darner Dragonfly | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 5PM | Flying |
34 | Banded Dragonfly | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 5PM | Flying |
35 | Damselfly | May, Jun, Jul, Aug | All hours | Flying |
36 | Firefly | Dec | 7PM - 4AM | Above freshwater |
37 | Mole Cricket | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov | All hours | Underground |
38 | Pondskater | Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 7PM | In rivers |
39 | Diving Beetle | Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 7PM | In rivers |
40 | Giant Water Beetle | Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec | 7PM - 8AM | Ponds and rivers |
41 | Stinkbug | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | All hours | On trees |
42 | Man-faced Stink Bug | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 7PM - 8AM | Flowers |
43 | Ladybug | Apr, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 8AM - 5PM | Flowers |
44 | Tiger Beetle | Jan, Feb, Mar, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | All hours | Flying |
45 | Jewel Beetle | Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, Dec | All hours | On trees |
46 | Citrus Long-horned Beetle | All months | All hours | Tree stumps |
47 | Rosalia Batesi Beetle | Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec | All hours | Tree stumps |
48 | Blue Weevil Beetle | Jan, Feb | All hours | On trees |
49 | Violin Beetle | Mar, Apr, May, Nov, Dec | All hours | On trees |
50 | Dung Beetle | Jun, Jul, Aug | All hours | Ground |
51 | Earth-boring Dung Beetle | Jan, Feb, Mar | All hours | Ground |
52 | Scarab Beetle | Jan, Feb | 11PM - 8AM | On trees |
53 | Drone Beetle | Jan, Feb, Dec | All hours | On trees |
54 | Goliath Beetle | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
55 | Saw Stag | Jan, Feb | All hours | On trees |
56 | Miyama Stag | Jan, Feb | All hours | On trees |
57 | Giant Stag | Jan, Feb | 11PM - 8AM | On trees |
58 | Rainbow Stag | Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec | 7PM - 8AM | On trees |
59 | Cyclommatus Stag | Jan, Feb | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
60 | Golden Stag | Jan, Feb | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
61 | Giraffe Stag | Jan, Feb | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
62 | Horned Dynastid | Jan, Feb | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
63 | Horned Atlas | Jan, Feb | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
64 | Horned Elephant | Jan, Feb | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
65 | Horned Hercules | Jan, Feb | 5PM - 8AM | On trees |
66 | Walking Stick | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May | 4AM - 8AM, 5PM - 7PM | On trees |
67 | Walking Leaf | Jan, Feb, Mar | All hours | On ground by trees |
68 | Bagworm | All months | All hours | Shaking trees |
69 | Ant | All months | All hours | On rotten turnips and fruit |
70 | Hermit Crab | All months | 7PM - 8AM | On beach |
71 | Wharf Roach | All months | All hours | On beach rocks |
72 | Fly | All months | All hours | On rotten food and garbage |
73 | Mosquito | Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec | 5PM - 4AM | Flying |
74 | Flea | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec | All hours | On flea-infested villagers |
75 | Snail | All months | All hours | On rocks |
76 | Pillbug | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec | 11AM - 4PM | Hitting rocks |
77 | Centipede | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Nov, Dec | 5PM - 11PM | Hitting rocks |
78 | Spider | All months | 7PM - 8AM | Shaking trees |
79 | Tarantula | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct | 7PM - 4AM | Ground |
80 | Scorpion | Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec | 7PM - 4AM | Ground |
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