Common Garden Bugs: 34 Types and What to Do
Common Garden Bugs are one of the most common identification questions we get. Here are 34 you are likely to see.
Quick list
- Yellowjacket
- Blister Beetle
- Bumble Bee
- Honey Bee
- Paper Wasp
- Wheel Bug
- Wolf Spider
- Aphid
- Argentine Ant
- Asian Lady Beetle
- Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
- Cabbage White
- Carpenter Bee
- Colorado Potato Beetle
- Differential Grasshopper
- Earwig
- Japanese Beetle
- June Bug
- Millipede
- Squash Bug
- Tomato Hornworm
- Bold Jumping Spider
- Goldenrod Crab Spider
- Green Lacewing
- Ground Beetle
- Harvestman
- Large Milkweed Bug
- Monarch Butterfly
- Mud Dauber
- Pill Bug
- Praying Mantis
- Seven-Spotted Ladybug
- Spotted Orbweaver
- Yellow Garden Spider
How to narrow it down
Narrow it down with three quick checks. Count the legs: insects have six, spiders and ticks have eight, and centipedes and millipedes have many more. Check for wings, even folded ones. Then compare size against a coin: a US penny is 19 mm across. Our bug identifier tool does this filtering for you.
The 34 bugs
Yellowjacket
YellowjacketVespula maculifronsA sleek, bright yellow-and-black wasp that nests underground or in wall voids. Late-summer workers scavenge for sweets and meat and are drawn to picnics and trash cans.
Tell-tale sign: Smooth, shiny yellow and black body with little hair. Risk: Yellowjackets sting repeatedly and defend nests aggressively; multiple stings or an allergy can be dangerous.
Blister Beetle
Blister BeetleEpicauta spp.A long, soft-bodied beetle with a narrow neck that feeds on flowers and vegetable foliage. Its body contains cantharidin, a chemical that raises blisters on skin.
Tell-tale sign: Long, soft, cylindrical body with flexible wing covers. Risk: Handling or crushing blister beetles can cause painful skin blisters, and hay contaminated with them can poison horses.
Bumble Bee
Bumble BeeBombus spp.A large, round, very hairy bee with black and yellow bands. It nests in the ground or old rodent burrows and pollinates tomatoes, blueberries and wildflowers.
Tell-tale sign: Plump, fuzzy body covered in dense hair. Risk: Bumble bees are gentle but can sting more than once if their nest is disturbed.
Honey Bee
Honey BeeApis melliferaA fuzzy, golden-brown bee with darker bands that pollinates crops and flowers and lives in large colonies. A worker's barbed stinger stays in the skin after it stings.
Tell-tale sign: Golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands. Risk: A honey bee sting is painful and can trigger life-threatening allergic reactions in sensitive people; call a local beekeeper for swarms.
Paper Wasp
Paper WaspPolistes spp.A slender wasp with long, dangling legs that builds open, umbrella-shaped paper nests under eaves, railings and grills. It hunts caterpillars to feed its young.
Tell-tale sign: Long, thin body with a narrow waist. Risk: Paper wasps are less aggressive than yellowjackets but will sting to defend their nest.
Wheel Bug
Wheel BugArilus cristatusA large, gray assassin bug with a raised, toothed crest on its back that looks like half a gear wheel. It hunts caterpillars and beetles and is a garden ally.
Tell-tale sign: Semicircular, cog-like crest on the thorax. Risk: Its bite is extremely painful and can take days or weeks to heal, so avoid handling it.
Wolf Spider
Wolf SpiderLycosidae familyA large, hairy, fast-running spider that hunts on the ground instead of building webs. Females carry their egg sacs and then their spiderlings on their backs.
Tell-tale sign: Hairy brown or gray body with dark stripes. Risk: Wolf spiders can bite if handled, causing pain and swelling like a bee sting, but they're not dangerous.
Aphid
AphidAphidoidea superfamilyA tiny, soft, pear-shaped insect that clusters on new shoots and leaf undersides to suck sap. Aphids reproduce quickly and leave sticky honeydew that attracts ants.
Tell-tale sign: Pear-shaped, soft body, often green or black. Risk: Aphids don't bite people; heavy colonies curl leaves and spread plant viruses.
Argentine Ant
Argentine AntLinepithema humileA small, light-to-dark brown ant that forms huge, cooperating supercolonies. Wide, busy trails often stream into kitchens during hot or rainy weather.
Tell-tale sign: Uniform light-brown body with one flat node. Risk: Argentine ants don't sting and rarely bite; they protect aphids and scale insects on garden plants.
Asian Lady Beetle
Asian Lady BeetleHarmonia axyridisAn imported lady beetle that ranges from pale orange to red with anywhere from zero to 19 spots. In fall it gathers in large numbers on sunny walls and slips indoors to spend the winter.
Tell-tale sign: Orange to red dome-shaped body with a variable number of spots. Risk: They can give a mild pinch and release a yellow, smelly fluid that stains, but they carry no disease.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Brown Marmorated Stink BugHalyomorpha halysA shield-shaped, mottled brown bug that invades homes in fall to overwinter and feeds on fruit and vegetables in summer. It releases a sharp odor when disturbed or crushed.
Tell-tale sign: Shield-shaped, marbled brown body. Risk: Stink bugs don't bite or sting people; they are a household and crop nuisance.
Cabbage White
Cabbage WhitePieris rapaeA small white butterfly with gray-black wing tips and one or two dark spots on each forewing. Its velvety green caterpillars chew holes in cabbage, broccoli and kale.
Tell-tale sign: White wings with charcoal forewing tips. Risk: Cabbage whites are harmless to people; caterpillars can riddle brassica crops with holes.
Carpenter Bee
Carpenter BeeXylocopa virginicaA large bee that bores perfectly round holes into bare wood on decks, eaves and fences. Males hover aggressively near nests but cannot sting.
Tell-tale sign: Shiny, hairless black abdomen. Risk: Females can sting but rarely do; repeated nesting weakens wood and attracts woodpeckers.
Colorado Potato Beetle
Colorado Potato BeetleLeptinotarsa decemlineataA rounded, yellow-orange beetle with ten black stripes on its wing covers. Adults and humpbacked red larvae strip the leaves of potatoes, eggplants and tomatoes.
Tell-tale sign: Ten black lengthwise stripes on yellowish wing covers. Risk: Colorado potato beetles are harmless to people but can defoliate a potato crop.
Differential Grasshopper
Differential GrasshopperMelanoplus differentialisA large, olive-yellow grasshopper with black chevron marks on its hind legs. It feeds on crops, vegetables and weeds across the central US.
Tell-tale sign: Yellowish-olive body. Risk: Grasshoppers can nip if handled but are harmless; large outbreaks damage crops.
Earwig
EarwigForficula auriculariaA slender, reddish-brown insect with a pair of pincers on its tail. Earwigs hide under mulch and pots by day and chew seedlings, flowers and soft fruit at night.
Tell-tale sign: Forceps-like pincers at the end of the abdomen. Risk: Earwigs can pinch but are harmless, and they do not crawl into ears.
Japanese Beetle
Japanese BeetlePopillia japonicaA metallic green beetle with copper-brown wing covers that skeletonizes the leaves of roses, grapes, linden and hundreds of other plants. Its white grubs feed on grass roots in lawns.
Tell-tale sign: Metallic green head and thorax with coppery wing covers. Risk: Japanese beetles do not bite or sting people; the harm is to plants and turf.
June Bug
June BugPhyllophaga spp.A heavy, reddish-brown beetle that crashes into screens and porch lights on late-spring nights. Its C-shaped white grubs live in soil and chew grass roots.
Tell-tale sign: Chunky, shiny reddish-brown to dark brown body. Risk: June bugs are harmless to people; they do not bite or sting.
Millipede
MillipedeOxidus gracilisA slow-moving, cylindrical arthropod with two pairs of legs on most body segments. Millipedes eat decaying leaves and often migrate indoors after heavy rain.
Tell-tale sign: Rounded, segmented body with many short legs. Risk: Millipedes don't bite; some release a fluid that can stain or irritate skin.
Squash Bug
Squash BugAnasa tristisA flat, grayish-brown bug that sucks sap from squash and pumpkin vines, causing leaves to wilt and turn crispy. Clusters of bronze eggs appear on leaf undersides.
Tell-tale sign: Flattened, dull gray-brown body. Risk: Squash bugs don't harm people; they can wipe out squash and pumpkin plants.
Tomato Hornworm
Tomato HornwormManduca quinquemaculataA huge, bright green caterpillar with white V-shaped marks and a horn on its rear end. It can strip tomato, pepper and eggplant leaves overnight and later becomes a hawk moth.
Tell-tale sign: Plump green caterpillar up to four inches long. Risk: The horn is harmless; hornworms don't sting or bite.
Bold Jumping Spider
Bold Jumping SpiderPhidippus audaxA compact, fuzzy black spider with white spots and iridescent green mouthparts. It stalks prey with excellent eyesight and leaps several times its body length.
Tell-tale sign: Two very large, front-facing eyes. Risk: Jumping spiders are shy and harmless; a rare bite feels like a mild pinch.
Goldenrod Crab Spider
Goldenrod Crab SpiderMisumena vatiaA small, crab-like spider that sits on flowers waiting to ambush bees and flies. It can slowly change color between white and yellow to match its flower.
Tell-tale sign: Front two pairs of legs much longer and held out like a crab's. Risk: Crab spiders are harmless; their fangs are too small to hurt most people.
Green Lacewing
Green LacewingChrysoperla carneaA delicate, pale green insect with golden eyes and clear, net-veined wings. Its larvae, called aphid lions, devour aphids, mites and other soft-bodied pests.
Tell-tale sign: Lacy, transparent wings folded roof-like over the body. Risk: Lacewings are harmless beneficial insects; larvae can occasionally nip skin.
Ground Beetle
Ground BeetleCarabidae familyA fast-running, shiny black beetle that hunts slugs, caterpillars and other insects at night. Ground beetles often wander into basements and garages from nearby mulch and leaf litter.
Tell-tale sign: Shiny black body, often with a metallic sheen. Risk: Ground beetles rarely bite and are beneficial predators; a few release a harmless, bad-smelling spray.
Harvestman
HarvestmanOpiliones orderOften called daddy longlegs, a long-legged arachnid with a single fused, oval body and no venom glands. It scavenges on dead insects, fungi and plant matter.
Tell-tale sign: One round body section instead of two. Risk: Harvestmen have no venom and no silk; they are completely harmless.
Large Milkweed Bug
Large Milkweed BugOncopeltus fasciatusA bright orange-and-black bug that feeds on milkweed seeds in clusters of adults and nymphs. Its colors warn predators that it tastes bad.
Tell-tale sign: Orange body with a black band across the middle of the back. Risk: Large milkweed bugs are harmless to people and don't damage garden crops.
Monarch Butterfly
Monarch ButterflyDanaus plexippusAn orange butterfly with black veins and white-spotted borders, famous for its multigenerational migration to Mexico. Its caterpillars feed only on milkweed.
Tell-tale sign: Bright orange wings with thick black veins. Risk: Monarchs are harmless to people but toxic to birds that eat them.
Mud Dauber
Mud DauberSceliphron caementariumA solitary wasp with a thread-thin waist that builds tube-shaped mud nests on walls, ceilings and under porches. It stocks each nest with paralyzed spiders.
Tell-tale sign: Extremely long, thread-like waist. Risk: Mud daubers are non-aggressive and very rarely sting, even when handled.
Pill Bug
Pill BugArmadillidium vulgareA small land crustacean that rolls into a tight ball when disturbed, also called a roly-poly. It eats decaying plant matter in damp soil and mulch.
Tell-tale sign: Gray, armored, segmented body with seven pairs of legs. Risk: Pill bugs are harmless and only occasionally nibble seedlings.
Praying Mantis
Praying MantisTenodera sinensisA large, long-bodied predator that waits motionless with its spiny front legs folded as if praying. It catches insects of all kinds, including beneficial ones.
Tell-tale sign: Triangular head that swivels to look over its shoulder. Risk: Mantises are harmless to people, though a large one may pinch if handled.
Seven-Spotted Ladybug
Seven-Spotted LadybugCoccinella septempunctataA rounded, dome-shaped beetle with red wing covers and seven black spots. Both adults and larvae eat aphids, making it one of the most welcome insects in any garden.
Tell-tale sign: Bright red, dome-shaped body. Risk: Seven-spotted ladybugs are harmless to people and pets and do not damage plants.
Spotted Orbweaver
Spotted OrbweaverNeoscona cruciferaA round, hairy orb weaver that builds a new web each evening on porches, eaves and shrubs. By day it hides in a curled leaf or a nearby corner.
Tell-tale sign: Large, round, hairy abdomen, often reddish or orange. Risk: Spotted orbweavers are harmless and help control flying insects.
Yellow Garden Spider
Yellow Garden SpiderArgiope aurantiaA large black-and-yellow orb weaver that spins a big circular web with a thick zigzag band in the center. It sits head-down in the hub of the web in sunny gardens.
Tell-tale sign: Black and bright yellow patterned abdomen. Risk: Yellow garden spiders are not aggressive; a bite is rare and similar to a bee sting.
Which ones should you worry about?
7 of the 34 bugs in this guide can bite or sting. The ones to take seriously are yellowjacket. The rest are harmless or simply a nuisance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common one?
Among the bugs in this guide, the yellowjacket and blister beetle are the ones people ask about most.
Which of these are dangerous?
Yellowjacket can be medically significant.
How can I identify a bug I found?
Use the free bug identifier tool: choose the number of legs, wings, main color, size and where you found it, and it will list the closest matches.