Common British Bugs and Creepy Crawlies

Insects; bees, wasps, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, etc.

You will find listed here, in alphabetical order, some of the common British insect species from our Flora and Fauna database. As there are a large number of species with similar names we have included the genus, species, phylum, family and kingdom to help you correctly select the one you are looking for.

All animals are of the Kingdom Animalia, mostly the Phylum Insecta, but not all.

This page only displays species that have common names, there is likely to be many more members of this species in the main database that are found either in or around the British Isles or somewhere within the United Kingdom that do not have common names they will however be marked native, introduced, etc. To access these return to Flora and Fauna Menu and use the World Wildlife sub-menu.

Picture Availability

If photographs are available the species name is displayed in bold with the camera icon beside it along with the number of photos available. Similarly if other types of image, e.g. paintings or drawings, are available the image icon is displayed along with the number of images. To view the images click on the species name.

Endangered Species

Where species are at risk or endangered the Common Name is displayed in red emboldened text.

Books about British Insects

Select the species you require

Common Name	Species	Status	Family	Sub Order	Order
Agrion. Banded, Banded Demoiselle	Calopteryx splendens x 3	Native	Calopterygidae	Zygoptera	Odonata
Agrion. Beautiful,	Calopteryx virgo	Native	Calopterygidae	Zygoptera	Odonata
Ant. Black Bog,	Formica candida	Native	Formicidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Ant. Black-backed Meadow	Formica pratensis	Native	Formicidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Ant. Narrow-headed,	Formica exsecta	Native	Formicidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Ant. Negro, Silky ant,	Formica fusca	Native	Formicidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Barbut's Cuckoo,	Bombus (Psithyrus) barbutellus	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Buff-tailed Bumble,	Bombus terrestris x 2	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Bumble, Garden, Three banded white-tail Bumble,	Bombus (Megabombus) hortorum	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Early Bumble	Bombus (Pyrobombus) pratorum	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Four-coloured Cuckoo,	Bombus (Psithyrus) sylvestris	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Gipsy Cuckoo, Cuckoo Bee,	Bombus (Psithyrus) bohemicus	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Hill Cuckoo,	Bombus (Psithyrus) campestris	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Hill Cuckoo,	Bombus (Psithyrus) rupestris	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Large Garden Bumble,	Bombus (Megabombus) ruderatus	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Mountain Bumble Bee,	Bombus (Pyrobombus) monticola	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Shrill Carder,	Bombus sylvarum	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Bee. Vestal Cuckoo,	Bombus (Psithyrus) vestalis	Native	Apidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Beetle, Stag	Lucanus cervus x 1	Native	Lucanidae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Blue Ground,	Carabus (Carabus) intricatus	Native	Carabidae	Adephaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Common Red Soldier,	Rhagonycha fulva	Native	Cantharidae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Crucifix Ground,	Panagaeus cruxmajor	Native	Carabidae	Adephaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Devil's Coach Horse,	Staphylinus olens x 1	Native	Staphylinidae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Ground (type)	Tachys edmonsi	Native	Carabidae	Adephaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Ground,	Bembidion argenteolum	Native	Carabidae	Adephaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Hazel Pot,	Cryptocephalus coryli	Native	Chrysomelidae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Longhorn (type)	Oberea oculata	Native	Cerambycidae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Pashford Pot,	Cryptocephalus exiguus	Native	Chrysomelidae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Rove (type)	Stenus palposus	Native	Staphylinidae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Stag,	Cicindela campestris	Native	Carabidae	Adephaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Violet Click,	Limoniscus violaceus	Native	Elateridae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Beetle. Violet Ground,	Carabus (Megodontus) violaceus	Native	Carabidae	Adephaga	Coleoptera
Bug. Forest,	Pentatoma rufipes x 1	Native	Pentatomidae	Heteroptera	Hemiptera
Centipede, Common	Lithobius forficatus x 2 x 1	Native	Lithobiidae		Lithobiomorpha
Chaser, Broad-bodied	Libellula depressa x 4 x 1	Native	Libellulidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Chaser, Scarce	Libellula fulva x 1	Native	Libellulidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Conehead, Long-winged	Conocephalus discolor x 3	Native	Tettigoniidae	Ensifera	Orthoptera
Crane Fly. European,	Tipula paludosa x 1	Native	Tipulidae	Nematocera	Diptera
Cricket, Dark Bush	Pholidoptera griseoaptera x 2	Native	Tettigoniidae	Ensifera	Orthoptera
Cricket, Grey Bush	Platycleis albopunctata x 2	Native	Tettigoniidae	Ensifera	Orthoptera
Cricket, Oak Bush	Meconema thalassinum x 1	Native	Tettigoniidae	Ensifera	Orthoptera
Cricket, Roesel's Bush	Metrioptera roeselii x 1	Native	Tettigoniidae	Ensifera	Orthoptera
Cricket, Speckled Bush	Leptophyes punctatissima x 2	Native	Tettigoniidae	Ensifera	Orthoptera
Cricket. European Mole,	Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa x 1	Native	Gryllotalpidae	Ensifera	Orthoptera
Damselfly, Azure	Coenagrion puella x 2	Native	Coenagrionidae	Zygoptera	Odonata
Damselfly, Blue-tailed	Ischnura elegans	Native	Coenagrionidae	Zygoptera	Odonata
Damselfly, Blue-tailed	Ischnura elegans	Native	Coenagrionidae	Zygoptera	Odonata
Damselfly, Common Blue	Enallagma cyathigerum	Native	Coenagrionidae	Zygoptera	Odonata
Damselfly, Emerald	Lestes sponsa x 1 x 1	Native	Lestidae	Zygoptera	Odonata
Damselfly, Large Red	Pyrrhosoma nymphula x 3	Native	Coenagrionidae	Zygoptera	Odonata
Damselfly, Southern	Coenagrion mercuriale	Native	Coenagrionidae	Zygoptera	Odonata
Darter, Black - Black Meadowhawk	Sympetrum danae x 2	Native	Libellulidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Darter, Common	Sympetrum striolatum x 3	Native	Libellulidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Darter, Red-veined	Sympetrum fonscolombii x 1	Native	Libellulidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Darter, Ruddy	Sympetrum sanguineum x 2	Native	Libellulidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Dragonfly, Emperor	Anax imperator x 2	Native	Aeshnidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Dragonfly, Golden-Ringed	Cordulegaster boltonii x 1	Native	Cordulegastridae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Dung Beetle. Beauleu,	Aphodius niger	Native	Scarabaeidae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Earthworm	Lumbricus terrestris x 1	Native	Lumbricidae	Lumbricina	Haplotaxida
Eearwig. Common or European,	Forficula auricularia x 2 x 1	Native	Forficulidae	Eudermaptera	Dermaptera
Fly, Drone	Eristalis tenax	Native	Syrphidae	Brachycera	Diptera
Glow-worm	Lampyris noctiluca	Native	Lampyridae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Grasshopper, Blue-winged	Oedipoda caerulescens x 1		Acrididae	Caelifera	Orthoptera
Grasshopper, Common Field	Chorthippus brunneus x 3	Native	Acrididae	Caelifera	Orthoptera
Grasshopper, Lesser Marsh	Chorthippus albomarginatus x 2	Native	Acrididae	Caelifera	Orthoptera
Grasshopper, Meadow	Chorthippus parallelus x 2	Native	Acrididae	Caelifera	Orthoptera
Grasshopper, Mottled	Myrmeleotettix maculatus x 1	Native	Acrididae	Caelifera	Orthoptera
Grasshopper, Stripe-winged	Stenobothrus lineatus x 2	Native	Acrididae	Caelifera	Orthoptera
Grasshopper, Woodland	Omocestus rufipes x 2	Native	Acrididae	Caelifera	Orthoptera
Grasshopper. Large Marsh,	Stethophyma grossum	Native	Acrididae	Caelifera	Orthoptera
Groundhopper, Common	Tetrix undulata x 2	Native	Tetrigidae	Caelifera	Orthoptera
Hawker, Common - Sedge Darner, Common Aeshna	Aeshna juncea x 1	Native	Aeshnidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Hawker, Migrant	Aeshna mixta x 2	Native	Aeshnidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Hawker, Southern	Aeshna cyanea x 3	Native	Aeshnidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Hoverfly (Type)	Chrysotoxum arcuatum	Native	Syrphidae	Brachycera	Diptera
Hoverfly (Type)	Chrysotoxum bicinctum	Native	Syrphidae	Brachycera	Diptera
Hoverfly (Type)	Callicera spinolae	Native	Syrphidae	Brachycera	Diptera
Hoverfly. Golden,	Chrysotoxum octomaculatum	Native	Syrphidae	Brachycera	Diptera
Ladybird, Seven spot	Coccinella septempunctata x 1	Native	Coccinellidae	Polyphaga	Coleoptera
Mayflies (Olives etc)	Nigrobaetis niger	Native	Baetidae	Pisciforma	Ephemeroptera
Millipede, Black - White-legged snake millipede	Tachypodoiulus niger x 2	Native	Julidae		Julida
Millipede, Flat-backed	Polydesmus angustus x 2	Native	Polydesmidae	Polydesmidea	Polydesmida
Millipede, Spotted	Blaniulus guttulatus x 2	Native	Blaniulidae		Julida
Robberfly. Hornet,	Asilus crabroniformis	Native	Asilidae	Brachycera	Diptera
Robberfly. Manx,	Machimus cowini	Native	Asilidae	Brachycera	Diptera
Skater, Pond - common water-strider	Gerris (Gerris) lacustris x 2	Native	Gerridae	Heteroptera	Hemiptera
Skimmer, Keeled	Orthetrum coerulescens	Native	Libellulidae	Anisoptera	Odonata
Spider, Cobweb	Pholcus phalangioides	Native	Pholcidae		Araneae
Spider, Common House	Tegenaria domestica	Native	Agelenidae		Araneae
Spider, Crab	Misumena vatia x 1	Native	Thomisidae		Araneae
Spider, European Garden - Cross Spider, Garden Orb-Web Spider	Araneus diadematus x 3	Native	Araneidae	Labidognatha	Araneae
Spider, Nursery-Web	Pisuara mirabilis x 2	Native	Pisauridae	Labidognatha	Araneae
Spider, Raft	Dolomedes fimbriatus x 2	Native	Pisauridae	Labidognatha	Araneae
Spider, Wasp	Odontoschisma bruennichi x 6	Native	Adelanthaceae		Jungermanniales
Spider, Wolf	Pardosa lugubris x 3	Native	Lycosidae		Araneae
Spider, Zebra	Salticus scenicus x 1	Native	Salticidae		Araneae
Stonefly, Needle - willow stonefly	Leuctra inermis	Native	Leuctridae	Euholognatha	Plecoptera
Wasp, Norwegian	Dolichovespula (Pseudovespula) norwegica	Native	Vespidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Wasp, Parasitic	Pimpla instigator x 1	Native	Ichneumonidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera
Wasp. Common,	Vespula vulgaris x 1	Native	Vespidae	Apocrita	Hymenoptera

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Common British Bugs and Creepy Crawlies

Insects; bees, wasps, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, etc.

Picture Availability

Endangered Species

Books about British Insects

Select the species you require

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