Bug & Insect Identification List

Have you ever found a pest in your house and wondered “what kind of bug is this?” Are you worried about what pests may be damaging your property? The identification of insects and other pests can be tricky. That’s why we produce our pest and insect identification guides! They’re here to serve as a handy bug identifier, so you can be more knowledgeable of pests around you. This list of bugs and insects, plus other types of pests such as rodents and birds, contains hundreds of species – making it the most comprehensive bug and pest identifier online.

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Up close image of ants

Ants

Light brown termite

Termites

A colony of aphids

Aphids and Related Plant Pests

Camouflage predatory bug

Predatory Bugs

A large stinging Hornet

Stinging Insects

Brown beetle oval shape

Beetles

Weevil green beetle

Weevils

Beautiful patterened wings butterfly

Butterflies

Close up Image for Moth and Caterpillar

Moths and Caterpillars

True fly with large compound eyes

True Flies

Up close image of a fruit fly

Fruit Flies

A blood sucking insect

Mosquitoes

Reddish brown bed bug

Bed Bugs

Brown black cockroach

Cockroaches

Crawling house centipede

Household Pests

Ticks crawling on bed

Mites and Ticks

Black and white spider

Spiders and Related Arachnids

Multi-legged centipede and millipede

Centipedes and Millipedes

Crustacean on white shore

Crustaceans and Similar

Slug and snail together

Slugs and Snails

White and gray rodent

Rodents

Green grasshopper

Grasshoppers and Related

Dragonfly at rest

Dragonflies

Multiple kinds of bugs

Miscellaneous Bugs

IDENTIFY PESTS
Identification Steps from
Our Pest Control Experts
The National Pest Management Association supports the practice of integrated pest management (IPM), a common-sense process for treating and controlling pests. IPM incorporates three basic techniques, the second of which is identification. Insect identification is a matter of knowing what to look for, where to find it, and being able to see it. There are about 90,000 arthropod pest species in the United States, many of which have similar characteristics, making it even more necessary to have a helpful pest identification guide.

Our pest identifier is a list of bugs, insects, rodents, and other pests that does just that. Below is a list of six steps to effectively identify what’s in or around your home, using our pest and insect identification guides.

Group 1

Note characteristics of the pest.

This includes shape, size, color, number of legs, and whether it has wings and/or antennae. For rodents, consider size, color, length of nose, etc.
Group 2

Click on the category

That best resembles the pest characteristics you noted in step 1.
Group 3

Compare the pest characteristics

To the images of the various species, then click the species that most resembles the pest.
Group 4

Read about the pest guide

Learn about the pest characteristics, habits, habitats, threats, signs of an infestation, and prevention and control measures. The pest photos serve as another method of pest, rodent, or insect identification.
Group 5

Contact a licensed pest control professional

If you think you properly identified what kind of bug it is from our insect list, discuss eradication methods with a professional before trying to do it yourself. Some pest problems are better left to professional treatment.
Group 6

If you are still unsure of the pest in question

visit additional bug identification guides in the same pest category. A pest control professional can also assist in identification. A pest control company will send out a technician who is equipped with the tools and resources to properly identify the pest.