Global Animal Guide Wildlife Encyclopedia

Insects

The guide features 23 species in the insect class. Each profile answers the most-searched questions first.

Monarch butterfly with orange and black wings perched on a purple flower

Insect

Monarch Butterfly

The insect that migrates thousands of miles

Honey bee covered in pollen landing on a bright yellow flower

Insect

Honey Bee

The pollinator that powers much of the food we eat

Red ladybug with black spots resting on a green leaf

Insect

Ladybug

The spotted beetle gardeners love

Close-up of a black ant standing on soil

Insect

Ant

The tireless team-working insect

Close-up of a mosquito with slender legs resting on skin

Insect

Mosquito

The tiny insect with an outsized impact

Fuzzy black and yellow bumblebee gathering pollen on a purple flower

Insect

Bumblebee

The fuzzy, hard-working pollinator of meadows and gardens

Yellow and black common wasp resting on a wooden surface

Insect

Wasp

The yellow-and-black predator and scavenger of summer

Firefly glowing yellow-green on a leaf in the dark

Insect

Firefly

The glowing beetle of warm summer nights

Large Asian giant hornet with orange head and striped body on a wooden surface

Insect

Asian Giant Hornet

The world's largest hornet

Cicada with clear veined wings clinging to a tree trunk

Insect

Cicada

The loud summer singer with a long underground youth

Green praying mantis perched on a stem with front legs raised

Insect

Praying Mantis

The patient ambush predator with folded arms

Pale termites clustered on dark decaying wood

Insect

Termite

The colony-building recycler of dead wood

Large male stag beetle with antler-like jaws on a piece of dead wood

Near Threatened

Insect

Stag Beetle

The large beetle with antler-like jaws

Common housefly with red eyes and clear wings resting on a surface

Insect

Housefly

The familiar fly found wherever people live

Black dung beetle rolling a ball of dung across the ground

Insect

Dung Beetle

The strong beetle that rolls balls of dung

Pale green luna moth with long curved tails on its hindwings resting on bark

Insect

Luna Moth

The large, pale-green silk moth with long tails

Blue dragonfly with outstretched transparent wings resting on a reed

Insect

Dragonfly

The agile aerial hunter of ponds and streams

Close-up of a dark, flattened flea with long hind legs

Insect

Flea

The wingless parasite famous for jumping

Green grasshopper with long hind legs perched on a blade of grass

Insect

Grasshopper

The jumping insect of fields and meadows

Large black rhinoceros beetle with a curved horn on a log

Insect

Rhinoceros Beetle

One of the strongest animals for its size

Brown cockroach with long antennae on a flat surface

Insect

Cockroach

The hardy survivor that lives almost anywhere

Brown cricket with long antennae and hind legs on the ground

Insect

Cricket

The chirping insect of warm evenings

Close-up of a yellowjacket wasp with bold yellow and black stripes on a leaf

Insect

Yellowjacket

The bold black-and-yellow social wasp

Frequently asked questions

How many insects are in the Global Animal Guide?

The Global Animal Guide currently features 23 insects with full, answer-first profiles covering diet, habitat, size, and conservation status.

What are insects?

Insects are animals in the insect class. Browse the full list below to explore each species in detail.