Jun 20, 2026
Theater Districti
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no rights reserved
License: CC0 1.0 ↗
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Bugs Guide
Bugs Guide for California
Coasts, deserts, mountains, forests, and rich biodiversity
Bug highlights, common sightings, and the best places to look for bugs in California. Use the highlight list to start quickly, then work through the full guide for a broader local view.
Sightings
1,329
Species
201
Active Months
12
Category Overview
Bugs across California
This guide focuses on butterflies, bees, beetles, and other small species within California's wider region guide, making local walks, gardens, and close-up exploring feel richer.
Latest Sightings
Recent insect sightings in California
A recent look at insect sightings across California.
Jun 18, 2026
South Coast Botanic Gardeni
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(c) Kylie Etter, some rights reserved (CC BY)
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Jun 17, 2026
Hakone Gardensi
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Jun 16, 2026
South Bonnie Brae Tract Historic Districti
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(c) P Holroyd, some rights reserved (CC BY)
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Jun 16, 2026
Atchison Villagei
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(c) Barbara Banfield, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Jun 15, 2026
Professorvillei
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no rights reserved
License: CC0 1.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Sightings Map
See where insect sightings cluster
Start wide, then zoom in to see where insect sightings cluster across California.
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Top Highlights
Top 5 bugs to look for in California
These bugs are snapped the most across this region.
Bee
115 snaps
Monarch Butterfly
103 snaps
Gray Buckeye
64 snaps
Mourning Cloak
60 snaps
Pipevine Swallowtail
43 snaps
Places to Start
Best places for bugs in California
These place guides connect well with the bugs covered in this region.
Park49 sightings50 species
California, US
Regional Parks Botanic Garden
You might spot Pipevine Swallowtail and Western Fence Lizard.
View place guide →
Park44 sightings50 species
California, US
Blake Garden
You might spot Monarch, Bee, and Anise Swallowtail.
View place guide →
Park61 sightings6 species
California, US
Serra Mesa Community Park
You might spot Nuttall's Scrub Oak and House Finch.
View place guide →
Park41 sightings50 species
California, US
South Bonnie Brae Tract Historic District
You might spot Eastern Fox Squirrel, Bee, and House Sparrow.
View place guide →
Park47 sightings50 species
California, US
South Coast Botanic Garden
You might spot Western Fence Lizard, Duck, and Black Phoebe.
View place guide →
Park46 sightings50 species
California, US
Hakone Gardens
You might spot Western Fence Lizard and Pacific Poison Oak.
View place guide →
Full Guide
Full California bugs list
The complete ranked list for this guide, ordered by sightings count.
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Bee
Monarch Butterfly
Gray Buckeye
Mourning Cloak
Pipevine Swallowtail
Asian Lady Beetle
California Tortoiseshell
Painted Lady
Striped Shore Crab
Ladybug
Western Tiger Swallowtail
Flame Skimmer
White-lined Sphinx
Dotted Paropsine Leaf Beetle
Gray Hairstreak
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
West Coast Lady
Garden Snail
Seven-spotted Lady Beetle
Bold Jumping Spider
Acmon Blue
Cabbage White
Gray Bird Grasshopper
Marine Blue
Red Admiral
Anise Swallowtail
Common Pill Woodlouse
Mylitta Crescent
Western Pygmy-Blue
Spotless Lady Beetle
Gulf Fritillary
Variable Checkerspot
Yellow-faced Bumble Bee
Lorquin's Admiral
Pallid-winged Grasshopper
Vivid Dancer
Arizona Mantis
California Bumble Bee
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Umber Skipper
California Sister
Noble False Widow
North American Common Water Strider
Oleander Aphid
Common Ringlet
Fiery Skipper
Pacific Forktail
Sonoran Bumble Bee
Black Tegula
Mytilus californianus
Pale Swallowtail
Twenty-spotted Lady Beetle
American Lady
Black Soldier Fly
Blue-eyed Darner
Large Milkweed Bug
Milk Snail
Western Black Widow
American Cockroach
Blue Dasher
Button'S Banana Slug
Checkered White
Common Green Darner
Common Whitetail
Diabolical Ironclad Beetle
Dimorphic Flower Longhorn Beetle
European Paper Wasp
Gooseneck Barnacle
Hedgpeth'S Sapsucker
Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch
Horse-Fly Carpenter Bee
House Centipede
Margined White
Ornate Checkered Beetle
Pacific Banana Slug
San Diego Dorid
Silver-spotted Tiger Moth
Southern Masked Chafer
Spotted Tussock Moth
Sunburst Anemone
Western Earwig
Western Giant Swallowtail
Argentine Ant
Banana Slug
Banded Alder Borer
California Aglaja
California Flattened Jumping Spider
California Oak Moth
Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth
Echo Azure
Giant Green Anemone
Mediterranean Katydid
Orange Sulphur
Rough Harvester Ant
Valley Carpenter Bee
Variegated Meadowhawk
Alkali Grasshopper
Anthopleura elegantissima
Brown Elfin
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Brown Widow
California Gall Wasp
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Carolina Sphinx
Common Checkered-Skipper
Common Rough Woodlouse
Coyote Brush Bud Gall Midge
Eccentric Sand Dollar
European Woolcarder Bee
Fatal Metalmark
Giant Keyhole Limpet
Gray Wall Jumping Spider
Half-Edged Wall Jumping Spider
Indiscriminate Cuckoo Bumble Bee
Large Yellow Underwing
Monterey Dorid
Small Milkweed Bug
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Sylvan Hairstreak
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Veromessor pergandei
Western Calligrapher
Western Sculptured Pine Borer
Widow Skimmer
Willow Apple Gall Sawfly
Alkali Fly
American Winter Ant
Black-tailed Bumble Bee
Bronze Beetle
California Broad-necked Darkling Beetle
California Darner
California Glowworm
California Harvester Ant
California Seahare
Cancer productus
Carpenterworm Moth
Ceanothus Silk Moth
Colonus Hesperus
Common Blue Mud-Dauber Wasp
Common Drone Fly
Cottony Cushion Scale
Dasymutilla californica
Dentate Stink Beetle
Diplolepis polita
Egyptian Bird Grasshopper
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Etorofus obliteratus
Eurasian Drone Fly
Eurasian Hummingbird Hawkmoth
European Green Crab
European Mantis
False Black Widow
Figeater Beetle
Fine striped sweat bee
Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth
Fuzzy-Horned Bumble Bee
Giant Mayfly
Goldenrod Crab Spider
Gouty Stem Gall Wasp
Guinea Paper Wasp
Habronattus Pyrrithrix
Hadrurus arizonensis
Harlequin Bug
Hoary Comma
Honeysuckle gall midge
Horned Nudibranch
Hydaspe Fritillary
Isabella Tiger Moth
Ligated Furrow Bee
Mediterranean red bug
Mexican Bush Katydid
Mossy Chiton
Narcissus Bulb Fly
Pacific Acorn Barnacle
Pacific Oyster
Pismo Clam
Polyphemus Moth
Red Cone Gall Wasp
Red Saddlebags
Salt Marsh Moth
Spined Woodborer
Spotted Dorid
Stretch Spiders
Ten-lined June Beetle
Three-lined Potato Beetle
Torpedo Bug
Variable Duskyface Fly
Versute Sharpshooter
Volupial Mint Moth
Wandering Glider
Wavy-Lined And Southern Emeralds
Western Boxelder Bug
Western Polished Lady Beetle
Western Sea Slater
Western Velvety Tree Ant
White Checkered-Skipper
White-bowed Smoothwing
White-spotted Sawyer
Xestoleptura Crassipes
Yellow-legged Mud-dauber Wasp
Zebra Jumping Spider
Other Guides
Keep exploring California
Switch from bugs to birds and flowers for a broader view of California's wildlife and nature.
