In this blog post, you will learn insects names in English with pictures and clear lists. Insects are the largest group of animals in the world and they live everywhere – in the air, water, soil, and even inside houses. They have a special body structure with six legs, antennae, and three body parts called head, thorax, and abdomen. Learning insect names is helpful for students, nature learners, and English beginners.
What are Insects?
Insects are small invertebrate animals with a hard outer body called an exoskeleton. They have wings (in most cases) and can fly, crawl, or jump.
Examples:
→ A butterfly flies from flower to flower.
→ An ant walks in a straight line.
Features of Insects
- Six legs
- Antennae for sensing
- Exoskeleton (hard body covering)
- Three body parts (head, thorax, abdomen)
- Most lay eggs
Categories of Insects
Insects belong to many orders (groups). Here are the main categories with examples:
Beetles (Order: Coleoptera)
These insects have hard wings that protect their soft wings.
Examples → Ladybug, Firefly, Stag Beetle
Butterflies and Moths (Order: Lepidoptera)
They are colorful flying insects with scaly wings.
Examples → Monarch Butterfly, Luna Moth, Silk Moth
Ants, Bees, and Wasps (Order: Hymenoptera)
They live in colonies and are social insects.
Examples → Honeybee, Wasp, Carpenter Ant
Flies and Mosquitoes (Order: Diptera)
These insects have two wings only.
Examples → Housefly, Fruit Fly, Mosquito
Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Locusts (Order: Orthoptera)
They have strong legs for jumping.
Examples → Grasshopper, Cricket, Locust
True Bugs (Order: Hemiptera)
These insects have piercing and sucking mouthparts.
Examples → Bedbug, Aphid, Cicada
Dragonflies and Damselflies (Order: Odonata)
They are fast-flying insects found near water.
Examples → Dragonfly, Damselfly
Termites (Order: Isoptera)
These are wood-eating insects.
Example → Termite
Praying Mantises (Order: Mantodea)
They are predatory insects with folded forelegs.
Example → Praying Mantis
Stick Insects and Leaf Insects (Order: Phasmatodea)
They look like sticks or leaves for camouflage.
Examples → Walking Stick, Leaf Insect
Fleas and Lice (Orders: Siphonaptera & Phthiraptera)
They are tiny parasitic insects.
Examples → Flea, Head Louse
Insects Names in English
Insects Names with Examples
Here is a table of insects with categories:
| Category | Insects Names |
|---|---|
| Beetles | Ladybug, Firefly, Stag Beetle, Dung Beetle |
| Butterflies/Moths | Monarch Butterfly, Atlas Moth, Cabbage White Butterfly |
| Ants/Bees/Wasps | Honeybee, Bumblebee, Wasp, Ant |
| Flies/Mosquitoes | Housefly, Fruit Fly, Mosquito, Gnat |
| Grasshoppers/Crickets | Grasshopper, Cricket, Locust, Katydid |
| True Bugs | Bedbug, Aphid, Cicada, Shield Bug |
| Dragonflies | Dragonfly, Damselfly |
| Termites | Termite |
| Stick/Leaf Insects | Walking Stick, Leaf Insect |
| Fleas/Lice | Flea, Head Louse, Body Louse |
A–Z List of Insects Names in English
Here is an A–Z list of insect names:
A → Ant, Aphid, Atlas Moth
B → Bedbug, Bumblebee, Beetle, Butterfly
C → Cricket, Cicada, Caterpillar, Cockroach
D → Dragonfly, Dung Beetle, Damselfly
E → Earwig, Emerald Ash Borer
F → Fly, Firefly, Flea, Fruit Fly
G → Grasshopper, Gnat, Ground Beetle
H → Honeybee, Horsefly, Head Louse
I → Ichneumon Wasp, Inchworm
J → Jewel Beetle, June Bug
K → Katydid, Kissing Bug
L → Ladybug, Locust, Leaf Insect, Louse
M → Mosquito, Moth, Mealworm, Mantid (Praying Mantis)
N → Net-winged Beetle, Nymph (immature insect stage)
O → Owl Butterfly, Oriental Cockroach
P → Praying Mantis, Potato Beetle, Paper Wasp
Q → Queen Ant, Queen Bee
R → Roach, Robber Fly, Rice Weevil
S → Stick Insect, Stag Beetle, Shield Bug, Silk Moth
T → Termite, Tsetse Fly, Tiger Moth
U → Underwing Moth
V → Viceroy Butterfly, Velvet Ant
W → Wasp, Walking Stick, Weevil, Whitefly
X → Xylocopa (Carpenter Bee)
Y → Yellow Jacket (Wasp), Yucca Moth
Z → Zebra Butterfly, Zorapteran (tiny insect order)
FAQs
What are insects in simple words?
Insects are small animals with six legs, antennae, and usually wings.
How many insects are there in the world?
Scientists believe there are over 10 million species of insects.
Is a spider an insect?
No, a spider is an arachnid, not an insect, because it has eight legs.
Which insect is the most common?
The ant is one of the most common insects in the world.
Which insect is helpful for humans?
Honeybees are very helpful because they make honey and help in pollination.
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