| Insect (generic) |
Larva or Nymph |
A flight of insects, a plague of insects, a swarm of insects, a horde of insects, a rabble of insects. |
Insects |
| Ant 🐜 |
Antling |
An army of ants, a colony of ants, a nest of ants, a bike of ants, a swarm of flying ants. |
Ants |
| Bee 🐝 |
Larva |
A grist of bees*, a hive of bees, a swarm of bees, a flight of bees and a bike of bees (bike is old English word for next, colony and swarm). |
Bees |
| Beetle🐞 |
Grub |
A group of beetles is called a colony of beetles or a swarm of beetles, |
Beetles |
| Butterfly 🦋 |
Caterpillar (Larva) |
A rabble* of butterflies, a rainbow of butterflies*, a kaleidoscope of butterflies*, a swarm of butterflies*, an army of caterpillars. |
Butterflies |
| Click Beetle |
Wireworm (Larva) |
A colony of click beetles. |
Click Beetles |
| Cockroach |
Nymph |
An intrusion of cockroaches. |
Cockroaches |
| Dragonfly |
Nymph |
A cluster of dragonflies. |
Dragonflies |
| Fly |
Maggots (Larva) |
A business of flies, a hatch of flies, a cloud of flies, a swarm of flies. |
Flies |
| Gnat |
Larva |
A horde of gnats, a cloud of gnats, a swarm of of gnats. |
Gnats |
| Grasshopper, Cricket 🦗 |
Nymph |
A cloud of grasshoppers, a cluster of grasshoppers. |
Grasshoppers |
| Hornet |
Larva |
A bike of hornets, a nest of hornets. |
Hornets |
| Hoverfly (Syrphidae) |
Maggots (Larva) |
Hoverfly itself is a collective term for over 6000 winged insects in Syrphidae family. The often mimic wasps and bees. |
Hoverflies |
| Ladybird, Ladybug, Lady Beetle 🐞 |
Larva |
A loveliness of ladybugs. |
Ladybirds, Ladybugs, Lady Beetles |
| Louse |
Nymph |
A flock of lice, a colony of lice, an infestation of lice. |
Lice |
| Locust |
Nymph |
A plague of locusts, one of the best known collective nouns for insects. |
Locusts |
| Midge |
Larva |
A bite of midges*. |
Midges |
| Mite[1] |
Larva |
A mite of mites. |
Mites |
| Mosquito 🦟 |
Larva |
A scourge of mosquitoes*. |
Mosquitoes |
| Moth |
Caterpillar (Larva) |
A whisper or flutter of moths. A universe of moths. |
Moths |
| Sawfly (Symphyta) |
Caterpillar (Larva) |
Sawfly itself is a collective term for over 8000 winged insects whose caterpillar-like larvae often clump together in the Symphyta order. Adult sawflies don’t have a “wasp waist” but often mimic wasps and bees. |
Sawflies |
| Scorpion[1]🦂 |
Scorpling (Nymph) |
A bed of scorpions, a nest of scorpions. |
Scorpions |
| Spider[1] 🕷🕸 |
Spiderlings (Larva) |
A cluster of spiders*, a clutter of spiders*. |
Spiders |
| Stick Insect |
Nymph |
A bushel of stick insects*. |
Stick Insects |
| Termite |
Nymph |
A brood of termites, a colony of termites, a nest of termites, a swarm of termites. |
Termites |
| Wasp |
Larva |
A nest of wasps, a plague of wasps, pail or swarm of wasps. |
Wasps |
