Jun 1, 2026
Lauritzen Gardensi
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no rights reserved
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Bugs Guide
Bugs Guide for Iowa
Prairies, rivers, wetlands, and open skies
Bug highlights, common sightings, and the best places to look for bugs in Iowa. Use the highlight list to start quickly, then work through the full guide for a broader local view.
Sightings
224
Species
117
Active Months
12
Category Overview
Bugs across Iowa
This guide focuses on butterflies, bees, beetles, and other small species within Iowa's wider region guide, making local walks, gardens, and close-up exploring feel richer.
Latest Sightings
Recent insect sightings in Iowa
A recent look at insect sightings across Iowa.
May 31, 2026
Hickory Hill Parki
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(c) eeyipes, some rights reserved (CC BY)
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May 31, 2026
Hickory Hill Parki
Photo attribution
(c) eeyipes, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Sep 26, 2025
High Trestle Traili
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no rights reserved
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Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Sep 23, 2025
St. Mary's Catholic Churchi
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(c) evangrimes, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Sep 9, 2025
Bixby State Preservei
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(c) Nicholas Stockmaster, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
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 Iowa.
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Top Highlights
Top 5 bugs to look for in Iowa
These bugs are snapped the most across this region.
Monarch Butterfly
10 snaps
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
6 snaps
Luna Moth
6 snaps
Plain Pocketbook
6 snaps
Red Admiral
6 snaps
Places to Start
Best places for bugs in Iowa
These place guides connect well with the bugs covered in this region.
Park44 sightings50 species
Iowa, US
Hickory Hill Park
You might spot House Sparrow and Common Eastern Bumble Bee.
View place guide →
Park41 sightings50 species
Iowa, US
Shimek State Forest
You might spot Silver-Spotted Skipper, Question Mark, and Banded Pennant.
View place guide →
Park42 sightings50 species
Iowa, US
Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
You might spot Common Eastern Bumble Bee and North American Luna Moth.
View place guide →
Park48 sightings50 species
Iowa, US
High Trestle Trail
You might spot Common Milkweed, Amur Honeysuckle, and Canada Anemone.
View place guide →
Park30 sightings12 species
Iowa, US
Des Moines Botanical Center
You might spot Bluegill, Canada Goose, and Carolina Mantis.
View place guide →
Park30 sightings12 species
Iowa, US
Iowa State Fairgrounds
You might spot American Toad, White-Tailed Deer, and Eastern Fox Squirrel.
View place guide →
Full Guide
Full Iowa bugs list
The complete ranked list for this guide, ordered by sightings count.
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Monarch Butterfly
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Luna Moth
Plain Pocketbook
Red Admiral
Asian Lady Beetle
Bee
Bold Jumping Spider
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Polyphemus Moth
Silver-spotted Skipper
Tan Jumping Spider
American Carpenter Ant
Chinese Mantis
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
Hackberry Emperor
Two-spotted Bumble Bee
Black Swallowtail
Black-and-gold Bumble Bee
Eastern Giant Swallowtail
Ebony Jewelwing
Orange Sulphur
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle
American Dog Tick
American Lady
Bearded Carpenter ant
Bent-Spined Acorn Ant
Blue Corporal
Common Pill Woodlouse
Common Whitetail
Eastern Eyed Click Beetle
Eastern Yellowjacket
European Woolcarder Bee
Four-lined Plant Bug
Great Spangled Fritillary
Hobomok Skipper
Huron Skipper
Isabella Tiger Moth
Margined Calligrapher
Mourning Cloak
Painted Lady
Pearl Crescent
Question Mark
Red-banded Leafhopper
Snowberry Clearwing
Zabulon Skipper
Acanthocephala terminalis
Admiral Butterfly
Ailanthus Webworm Moth
American Bumble Bee
American Carrion Beetle
American Sand Wasp
Autumn Meadowhawk
Banded Pennant
Banded Tussock Moth
Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee
Black Sandshell
Blue Dasher
Bronzed Tiger Beetle
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Cabbage White
Cecropia Moth
Common Drone Fly
Common Green Darner
Common Picture-winged Fly
Eastern Black Carpenter Ant
Eastern Boxelder Bug
Eastern Calligrapher
Eastern Comma
Eastern Forktail
Eastern Pondhawk
Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Eight-spotted Forester Moth
Elm Sphinx
End Band Net-winged Beetle
Essex Skipper
Fuzzy Olive-Green Grasshopper
Gray Comma
Gray Hairstreak
Green Stink Bug
Horace's Duskywing
Japanese Beetle
Juvenal's Duskywing
Ladybug
Little Wood Satyr
Lone Star Tick
Mapleleaf
Margined Leatherwing Beetle
North American Wheel Bug
Northern Corn Rootworm
Northern Paper Wasp
Northern Pearly-eye
Odorous House Ant
Oleander Aphid
Pale Green Assassin Bug
Pandorus Sphinx
Reakirt's Blue
Red Milkweed Beetle
Running Crab Spiders
Salt Marsh Moth
Slaty Skimmer
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Stream Cruiser
Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle
Transverse-banded Flower Fly
Twenty-spotted Lady Beetle
Velvet-Striped Grasshopper
Viceroy
Virginian Tiger Moth
Waved Sphinx
Western Conifer Seed Bug
White-lined Sphinx
White-marked Tussock Moth
Widow Skimmer
Yellow-legged Mud-dauber Wasp
Yellow-striped Armyworm Moth
Other Guides
Keep exploring Iowa
Switch from bugs to birds and flowers for a broader view of Iowa's wildlife and nature.
