How to Identify Bugs & Insects

Capture the Bug

• 1

  Pour 2 tbsp. of nail polish remover in a glass jar.

• 2

  Capture a bug with a net or hands.

• 3

  Put the bug on a napkin and drop it in the kill jar. Close the lid tightly.

• 4

  Wait for the bug to die. Do not leave it in the mixture for more than 3 hours. Repeat the process as needed.

• 5

  Remove the bug and lay it on a flat surface.

Identify the Bug

• 6

  Use a magnifying glass to study the bug. Look for how many body parts and how many legs it has. Check coloration, markings and wings. Note if the tail end of the bug, the abdomen, is hard like a beetle. Write down the observations.

• 7

  Sketch the bug.

• 8

  Take the sketch and description to a library. Locate a book with pictures of bugs.

• 9

  Use the number of body parts and legs to identify if it is an insect or arachnid. Insects have six legs, and arachnids have eight.

• 10

  Search for a picture of a bug like the one killed. Use the observations to narrow down the search. For example, if the abdomen is hard, start in the beetle section.

• 11

  Write down the name of the bug. Copy a picture of the bug from the book. Take it back to the dead bug and compare.