Can You Identify These Garden-Dwelling Bugs?

By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
Can You Identify These Garden-Dwelling Bugs?
Image: Wiki Commons

About This Quiz

There are a lot of bugs in the world right now. In fact, it’s estimated that at any given moment about 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 individual insects are scuttling around. Don’t recognize that number? Don’t worry; it’s one that’s not used very often - 10 quintillion. That’s over a trillion insects for every human. And that’s just insects; the number doesn’t include things like spiders or worms or all the other creatures we cover with the blanket term of “bugs.”

With so many bugs, it’s no wonder that you run into them constantly and are always running across ones you haven’t seen before. In the U.S. alone there have been nearly 100,000 different species identified, and many more that haven’t. Some you’ll never see and some you’ll see all too often. Some can be a real benefit to you, your garden and even the environment around you while others seem like they only exist to cause you anxiety and the odd painful sting.

Knowing that you’re surrounded by bugs all the time, how many have you stopped to take a look at? Do you think you could identify all the ones that may be living on your lawn, or in the garden, just from a single picture? There’s one way to find out! Take the quiz and see how many of the most common garden-dwelling bugs you can identify!


ladybug
Wiki Commons
These insects are often referred to as birds or beetles. What are they?
Ladybugs
Carpet Weevils
Pillbugs
Squash Bugs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Entomologists prefer to call ladybugs ladybird beetles or just lady beetles because a ladybug isn’t actually a true bug. You can tell the difference between a true bug and another type of insect by their mouth parts - true bugs only suck liquids from the plants they feed on. Since ladybugs have mouths that chew, they’re not true bugs.

Advertisement

aphids
Shutterstock
Over 4,000 species of this tiny, sap-sucking insect have been identified. What is it?
Gnat
Spider Mite
Aphid
Fire Ant
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Aphids are one of the most common insects throughout gardens in North America and also one of the most destructive. When they feed on plants, they make a sticky liquid called honeydew, which can grow mold and further damage your garden.

Advertisement

cutworm
Shutterstock
This moth larva usually hides under leaves or soil in the day then chews through plant stems at night. What is it?
Cabbage Worm
Hornworm
Caterpillar
Cutworm
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are several species of moths that have larvae referred to as cutworms. They get the name because, when they appear from hiding, they tend to eat the first part of the plant they find; the stem. They’ll eat all the way through and cut the whole plant down.

Advertisement

potato beetle
shutterstock
This bug is sometimes known as the ten-striped spearman or the Colorado beetle. It causes major damage to the crop it infests. What is it?
Pillbug
Japanese Beetle
Potato Beetle
Leafhopper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Colorado Potato Beetle attacks potato crops all across North America and will also go after your tomatoes and eggplants.

Advertisement

Mexican bean beetle
Shutterstock
This bug is a close relative of the ladybug and is known for eating the leaves of plants. What is it?
Mexican Bean Beetle
Sowbug
Katydid
Lacewing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Mexican bean beetle is known to eat the leaves of lima bean and snap bean plants, but also black-eyed peas, soybeans, mung beans, alfalfa, and clover. They eat through the bottom of leaves and make them look like dried out skeletons.

Advertisement

flea beetle
shutterstock
These bugs are major pests for plants like canola and mustard seed, and originally came from Eurasia. What are they?
Tomato Hornworm
Flea Beetle
Pillbug
Earwig
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The flea beetle causes around $300 million worth of damage yearly to mustard and canola crops. They’re best controlled with pesticides, but predatory insects like lacewings and damsel bugs will also control the flea beetle population.

Advertisement

grasshopper
Wiki Commons
This common bug is probably best known for its ability to jump. What is it?
Japanese Beetle
Mealybug
Aphid
Grasshopper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Grasshoppers are not only one of the most common bugs on earth, but they’re also one of the oldest. They date back to the Triassic period, which was 250 million years ago. These little guys were hopping at the feet of Tyrannosaurus Rexes.

Advertisement

Gypsy Moth
n/a
This bug is a pest in its larval stage and causes significant damage to trees and shrubs, though its mature form looks a little more cuddly. What is it?
Gypsy Moth
Monarch Butterfly
Lacewing
Honey Bee
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gypsy moths are considered one of the 100 most destructive invasive species in the world due to the damage caused by the larval caterpillars of the species. As adults, the moths only live for about a week and don’t even have a proper digestive system. They don’t eat at all, but they can ingest moisture.

Advertisement

japanese beetle
Wiki Commons by Bruce Marlin
This little invasive bug is a member of the scarab family and actually has iridescent coloring. What is it?
Japanese Beetle
Sowbug
Potato Beetle
Earwig
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Japanese beetle is a destructive invasive species in North America where it’s known to feed on everything from roses to grapes to birch trees. Ironically, in their native Japan, they’re not a particularly destructive species since they are controlled by natural predators there.

Advertisement

leafhopper
Shutterstock
These little bugs are found all over the world and there have actually been over 20,000 species identified, making them one of the largest families of insects in the world. What are they?
Praying Mantis
Leafhopper
Cucumber Beetle
Blister Beetle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Leafhoppers have legs like grasshoppers that make them adept at jumping to escape predators. Most species of leafhopper are considered pests since they will feed on your garden plants by piercing the leaves and sucking out the plant juices. Their saliva is toxic to plants and will cause the leaves to curl or develop white and yellow spots.

Advertisement

psyllid
shutterstock
These bugs are known as “jumping plant lice” and will not just feed off of a plant like citrus trees but can infect them with a dangerous bacterium as well. What are they?
Pillbugs
Cicadas
Cucumber Beetles
Psyllids
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Psyllids are host-specific pests in your garden so they won’t jump from plant to plant. Instead, they will eat one type of plant specifically. Some species of psyllids produce what is called a “lerp,” a crystallized blob of honeydew that acts as a shell to protect the larval insects from predators.

Advertisement

honey bee
Shutterstock
This bug is one of the most beneficial insects in the world, though many people are still pretty nervous when they see them around. What is it?
Gypsy Moth
Honey Bee
Lacewing
Whitefly
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Honey bees are just one of around 20,000 species of bees in the world. They’re obviously the most famous kind due to their ability to pollinate plants and produce honey. Humans have been harvesting honey for over 8,000 years. In the U.S. alone, honey bees make over 150 million pounds per year.

Advertisement

Wasp
Shutterstock
These stinging insects are often confused with bees, however, unlike a bee, this bug can sting multiple times. What are they?
Flying Ant
Carrot Fly
Whitefly
Wasp
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wasps are some of the most feared insects in North America owing to their painful sting. Yellow jackets and hornets are both names commonly given to species of wasps but are all basically the same insect. Like bees, they live in a hive-like nest with a queen, but unlike bees, wasps do not produce honey.

Advertisement

spider mite
shutterstock
These nuisance bugs can infect gardens and even house plants and sometimes produce a thin, silky webbing to protect themselves. What are they?
Spider Mites
Mealybugs
Whiteflies
Lacewings
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Spider Mites are not actually members of the arachnid family at all. They infect hundreds of different kinds of plants and reproduce incredibly fast. A spider mite can reach sexual maturing in only five days and then spend the next four weeks laying up to 20 eggs a day.

Advertisement

tomato hornworm
shutterstock
This large garden pest feeds on many of the vegetables you might grow in your home garden, and will one day become a five-spotted hawk moth. What is it?
Leafhopper
Tomato Hornworm
Damsel Bug
Cicada
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The tomato hornworm is a large green caterpillar, up to 5 inches in length, that will also go after eggplants and peppers. It gets its name because it tends to be found blending into the stems of tomato plants and because it has a fairly prominent though harmless little horn on its hind end.

Advertisement

blister beetle
Shutterstock
This garden pest is most famous for the way it defends itself, which can be painful. What is it?
Cucumber Beetle
Potato Beetle
Blister Beetle
Ladybug
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Blister beetles produce a substance called cantharidin that they emit when threatened. It will create a painful chemical burn, but it’s also extremely dangerous to take internally. If horses eat hay that has even a handful of blister beetles in it, they could actually die.

Advertisement

earwig
shutterstock
These intimidating looking insects are actually much less dangerous than they seem. What are they?
Earwig
Scorpion
Sowbug
Leafminer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The name “earwig” comes from an old belief that the earwig would actually crawl into your ear, though there isn’t much evidence to support that as a real thing that happens. The earwig’s pincers look dangerous, but it’s rare that they would ever use them on a human. Instead, it’s believed they play a part in mating rituals and holding prey.

Advertisement

corn earworm
shutterstock
These pests cause major crop damage in their larval form. What are they?
Corn Earworm
Snail
Slug
Leafhopper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Corn Earworm is the larval form of the corn earworm moth and can cause significant damage to corn crops. The caterpillars will eat the kernels of corn inside the husk, leaving the outside looking fine and healthy until you peel it open. It’s estimated the corn earworm causes over $100 million in damage to crops every year, and that doesn’t even include the price of insecticides to try to control them.

Advertisement

snail
Shutterstock
These creatures aren’t insects but something called a gastropod. Some species actually live under water. What are they?
Mealybug
Snail
Sowbug
Leafminer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Snails can be found all over the world living in all kinds of conditions so long as they’re damp enough. While North American garden snails are considered pests for eating plants, Giant African Land Snails are actually kept as pets by some people. These massive snails can weigh up to 32 grams and have shells that are nearly 8 inches long.

Advertisement

slug
Shutterstock
Some people mistake these creatures for a snail that has lost its shell. What is it?
Slug
Katydid
Tomato Hornworm
Cutworm
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Slugs are gastropods, like snails, but either without a shell or with an extremely small one. The common variety found in most gardens is pretty unremarkable, but some species can be quite striking. On the West Coast of North America you can find the massive, yellow banana slug and in Australia, there’s actually a species that is hot pink.

Advertisement

sowbug
Shutterstock
These bugs are known to roll up in a little ball when threatened. What are they?
Spider Mite
Aphid
Earwig
Sowbug
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sowbugs are sometimes called pillbugs or woodlice and are not actually insects but crustaceans. Known as isopods, there are still a number of similar but much larger creatures that live on the ocean floor. Those giant ocean isopods are sometimes kept as pets in aquariums and are even eaten in some countries.

Advertisement

squash bug
Shutterstock
These garden pests are sometimes mistaken for stink bugs both in appearance and because they may smell pretty bad. What are they?
Squash Bugs
Ladybugs
Mealybugs
Aphids
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Squash bugs, like their name implies, tend to eat only squash and pumpkin plants. They will suck the juices out of the plants causing them to wilt and die. Controlling squash bugs can also be difficult if you don't catch them when they’re young as adult squash bugs are notoriously difficult to kill.

Advertisement

Mosquito
Shutterstock
Found all over the world, these pests aren’t just annoying, but they’re also known for spreading many kinds of diseases. What are they?
Mosquitoes
Lacewings
Cicadas
Carrot flies
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mosquitoes are one of the worst nuisance insects in the world and are responsible for spreading diseases like malaria, West Nile and Zika virus. There are many ways to try to control mosquito populations and protect yourself including natural predators. A bat is capable of eating well over 1,000 mosquitoes per hour and between 6,000 and 8,000 in a single night.

Advertisement

whitefly
Shutterstock
These tiny bugs often hide from sight on the underside of leaves. What are they?
Wasps
Lacewings
Whiteflies
Blister Beetles
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Whiteflies are common not just in gardens but in houseplants and in greenhouses where they hide under leaves and suck the sap out of your plants. Controlling whiteflies is harder than it seems since these little bugs are resistant to many kinds of synthetic pesticides. Interestingly, whiteflies are attracted to the color yellow, so one method of controlling them involves using yellow sticky traps to lure them in.

Advertisement

cucumber beetle
Shutterstock
These garden pests cause a problem two ways - first by feeding on your plants and second by introducing bacteria that will kill the plant. What are they?
Cucumber Beetles
Cicadas
Sowbugs
Spider Mites
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cucumber beetles feed on not just cucumbers but things like muskmelon and watermelon. While feeding on the plants is a problem, it’s actually the bacteria that cucumber beetles carry that is more destructive. These bacteria, when transmitted to the plant they’re eating, will infect the whole plant causing it to wilt and die. Once infected, nothing can be done to save the plant.

Advertisement

cabbage worm
Shutterstock
Despite their name, these bugs can also be found eating broccoli, kale, and cauliflower. What are they?
Slugs
Cutworms
Pillbugs
Cabbage Worms
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cabbage Worms are any of several species of moth larvae that feed on members of the cabbage family like broccoli or kohlrabi. One species, the cabbage looper, gets its name because it moves like an inchworm, forming a loop with its body before extending forward again.

Advertisement

leafminer
Koppert Biological Systems/Youtube
The way the larval form of these bugs damage to your plants is how they got their name. What are they?
Aphids
Damsel Bugs
Leaf Miners
Cicadas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Leaf Miner is the name for many different kinds of bugs that all feed in the same way. The larval leaf miner will eat through the tissue of leaves in a pattern that can be easily seen and looks like someone scribbled a long, winding path all over it. It can be challenging to get rid of leaf miners because they’re protected inside the leaf itself.

Advertisement

Cicada
By Joaquín Salido Bello, from Wikimedia Commons
These loud insects are famous for their long lives, with some species only appearing every 17 years. What are they?
Cicada
Wasp
Leafhopper
Potato Bug
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cicadas come in two varieties - annual and periodical. Annual cicadas will appear every summer while the periodical cicadas will reappear on a 13 or 17-year cycle. When it’s time for periodical cicadas to reappear, all cicadas in the area will emerge simultaneously. This can be anywhere from a few thousand up to one million insects appearing.

Advertisement

monarch butterfly
Shutterstock
This bug is often a welcome guest in gardens not because it’s particularly helpful but because of how beautiful they are. What is it?
Gypsy Moth
Lacewing
Whitefly
Monarch Butterfly
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One of the most easily identifiable butterflies in the world, Monarchs have an incredible migration journey that sees them travel 3,000 miles every year from Mexico to Canada, across the United States.

Advertisement

Green Stink Bug
n/a
This noticeable bug is sometimes called a soldier bug and can be found feeding on a variety of plants from cherries to pine trees to eggplants and more. What is it?
Green Stink Bug
Mealybug
Blister Beetle
Earwig
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Green Stink Bug is a nuisance not just because they will attack and eat all kinds of fruits and vegetables but because they defend themselves by producing a foul-smelling liquid in large glands on their undersides. Before more modern techniques came into use, the dried secretions of stink bugs were added to acids to make them smell more strongly.

Advertisement

Fire Ant
n/a
These bugs are a generally unwanted variety of a common insect. They’re feared for their stinging bite. What are they?
Termite
Carpenter Ant
Wood Ant
Fire Ant
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fire Ants are most easily identified by their bright orange color and usually nest under things like logs or other brush that makes a moist, safe environment for a colony. Invasive fire ants cause $6.5 billion to the economy every year, not just to crops but to livestock and people who require medical treatment if the stinging bites get too bad. The World Health Organization estimates 30% to 60% of people who live near fire ants are stung yearly.

Advertisement

black and yellow garden spider
Wiki Commons by Margalob
You can find this web-spinner all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. What is it?
Black and Yellow Garden Spider
Tarantula
Black Widow Spider
Leafhopper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Black and Yellow Garden Spider is also called the Yellow Garden Spider, the McKinley Spider, the Zigzag Spider or the Corn Spider. They can even be found in Hawaii and are generally harmless to humans though they will bite if provoked. Their bite is on par with a sting from a bee, as long as you’re not allergic.

Advertisement

minute pirate bug
Wiki Commons by Jack Dykinga
These small bugs can be beneficial in controlling pest insects, but they also bite people and the bite is known to be rather painful. What is it?
Grasshopper
Cicada
Minute Pirate Bug
Bean Beetle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Minute Pirate Bug is beneficial in controlling things like corn earworms and other pests. The problem is they also bite people and even though the Minute Pirate Bug is only maybe 2 to 5 mm long, their bite can cause a lot of pain. It may swell up like a mosquito bite in some people, or show no signs at all in others.

Advertisement

lacewing
Wiki Commons by Alvegaspar
These helpful insects will eat other pest bugs in your garden and are from a group of bugs sometimes call “net-winged insects.” What are they?
Gypsy Moth
Lacewing
Wasp
Carrot Fly
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lacewings are usually only seen at dusk or later at night and are prized for their pest control abilities. Millions are bred yearly in Europe to be sold as natural pest control since the young of some species can eat hundreds of aphids a week.

Advertisement

damsel bug
Wiki Commons by Michael Becker
Sometimes called a nabid bug, these bugs will feed on aphids and caterpillars, which they hold in between their forelegs. What are they?
Sowbug
Potato Beetle
Cicada
Damsel Bug
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The damsel bug is a beneficial garden bug since it helps control the population of insects that can destroy your plants. Though they’re found in many crops, you’ll often see them on plants like alfalfa.

Advertisement

praying mantis
Shutterstock
These common garden bugs are actually helpful at controlling nuisance insects and in some parts of the world come in a fantastic array of colors that make them look like living flowers. What are they?
Praying Mantis
Snail
Blister Beetle
Aphid
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even though the praying mantis can look kind of creepy and alien, there are species found in Asia that are known as Orchid Mantises that come in an array of colors like pink, purple and white. These species of Orchid Mantis are sometimes kept as pets because of how beautiful they are.

Advertisement

mealybugs
Wiki Commons by Alexlutor
These tiny bugs will infest not just your garden plants but your houseplants as well. They will feed on them, causing the leaves to wither and die. What are they?
Earwigs
Mealybugs
Whiteflies
Snails
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mealybugs look like furry, white little insects that infest all kinds of plants. If you see any in your garden, chances are it's just the females as the male mealybugs are small, winged insects that don’t spend much time on plants at all.

Advertisement

mealybug destroyer
Wiki Commons by Holger Casselmann
This little bug is a member of the same family as ladybirds and is beneficial to your garden because it’s famous for eating another garden pest. What is it?
Potato Beetle
Cicada
Mealybug Destroyer
Stinkbug
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Mealybug Destroyer is also is sometimes called the Mealybug Ladybird. They are widely used in crops, such as citrus crops, to control the destructive mealybug population as a single mealybug destroyer larva can consume upwards of 250 mealybugs.

Advertisement

carrot fly
Wiki commons by rasbak
This bug is a major pest to certain crops in its larval form and is sometimes called a “rust fly.” What is it?
Carrot Fly
Potato Beetle
Blister Beetle
Cucumber Beetle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Carrot Fly or Carrot Rust Fly will eat not just carrots but parsnips and celery as well, among other vegetables. They’re called “rust flies” because the leaves of the plants they eat turn a rusty color as they die, and they leave rust-colored tunnels under the skin of whatever they’re eating.

Advertisement

katydid
Wiki commons by vishalsh521
These bugs are sometimes mistaken for crickets or grasshoppers, and there are over 6,400 different species of them throughout the world.
Pillbug
Ladybug
Katydid
Cutworm
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Katydids are sometimes called long-horned grasshoppers or bush crickets. Malaysia is home to the Giant Long-Legged Katydid, which can grow up to 6 inches in length. Despite their size, they’re pretty good at hiding from predators since they look so much like leaves.

Advertisement

You Got:
/40
Wiki Commons