Six ways bugs appear
Only the first is obvious. The rest are side effects of activities you already do every day.
| Method | Examples |
|---|---|
| Bug net | The majority of species |
| Breaking rocks | Chillipede, Jewel Beetle, Redhead Worm |
| Shaking trees | Caterpillar, Cicada, Winterpillar |
| Cutting grass | Grasshopper, Strawhopper, Leafhopper |
| Bug pheromones | Lures a chosen rarity tier: Common, Uncommon, Rare or Legendary |
| Buying | Balor’s Wagon sells bugs outright |
The four variables
Every bug is gated by some combination of season (spring, summer, fall, winter, or year-round), weather (sunny, rain, snow, blizzard, thunderstorm), time window, and location — overworld, beach, Deep Woods, the mines at various depths, and the Ancient Ruins.
Legendary bugs
The very rare tier includes the Fairy Bee, Flower Crown Beetle, Strobe Firefly, Snowball Beetle and Speedy Snail. Each carries its own seasonal and weather requirement, and Legendary-tier pheromones are the tool that makes them practical to chase.
Bugs make poor gifts
All bugs are universally disliked as gifts, alongside junk items such as acorns, fiber, hay, newts and sod. Donate or sell them instead.
Primary sources
Checked against these public pages. Official sources define confirmed features and status; community sources are labelled as such and used for game data that the developer does not publish directly.