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Cute Bugs: 10 Insects So Adorable You’ll Forget They’re Bugs
Fluffy moths, pink katydids and a mantis that looks like a flower. These cute bugs might change your mind about insects – plus one you should never touch.
Not a fan of bugs? These ones might change your mind. Some are fluffy, some are pink and some look like they belong in a cartoon. Here are ten of the cutest bugs in the world, plus one fuzzy creature that proves “cute” doesn’t always mean “safe”.
Rosy maple moth
Bubblegum pink and lemon yellow, with a fluffy body like a teddy bear. The rosy maple moth lives in the forests of eastern North America and is often found near porch lights on summer nights.
Venezuelan poodle moth
A white, fluffy moth with a poodle perm and huge black eyes. The Venezuelan poodle moth is known from a single 2009 photo, and nobody knows exactly what species it is.
Orchid mantis
Pink, white and shaped like a flower. The orchid mantis looks too pretty to be a predator, until a bee lands on it.
Bumblebee
Round, fuzzy and a little clumsy. Bumblebees are covered in hair that helps them keep warm and collect pollen. Male bumblebees can’t sting at all.
Ladybug
The classic cute bug. Ladybugs (or ladybirds) are also a gardener’s best friend: a single ladybug can eat thousands of aphids in its lifetime.
Pink katydid
Most katydids are green, but rarely one is born bright pink. It’s caused by a genetic trait called erythrism, and it makes the katydid look like a sweet. Sadly, being pink also makes it easier for birds to spot.
Strange but trueAdult rosy maple moths can’t eat. They have no working mouthparts and live for only about a week, just long enough to find a mate.
Glasswing butterfly
Its wings are almost completely see-through, like tiny windows framed in brown. The glasswing lives in Central and South America and is hard for predators to follow in flight.
Thistledown velvet ant
A white, fluffy “ant” from the deserts of the US Southwest that looks like a dandelion seed with legs. It’s actually a wasp, and the wingless females can deliver a very painful sting.
Panda ant
Black and white like a tiny panda. This Chilean insect is another velvet ant, which means it’s a wasp, and also packs a painful sting.
Peacock spider
Not an insect, but too cute to leave out. These Australian jumping spiders are about the size of a grain of rice. Males raise colourful flaps and dance to impress females.
Cute, but don’t touch: the puss caterpillar
It looks like a tiny fluffy toupee or a walking wig. But the puss caterpillar, found in the southern US, hides venomous spines under its soft hair. Touching one can cause intense pain that lasts for hours. If a bug looks like a cuddly toy, admire it with your eyes only.
Cute bugs have a secret: the fluff, colours and big eyes are usually there to protect them, not to charm you.
Why are some bugs cute?
Our brains find round shapes, big eyes and soft-looking textures cute, because they remind us of babies. For bugs, those features have nothing to do with us. Fluff keeps them warm, bright colours warn predators and flower shapes attract prey. See more in our Cute but Strange collection.
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