Insect Vocabulary

Idioms Education
Nov 5 · 4 min read

Butterflies come to pretty flowers.

A Korean proverb

Although many insects are considered to be pests (= insects that damage plants or supplies of food), they are also very important for many reasons. Insects are crucial components of many ecosystems, where they perform numerous functions — from pollination (placing pollen from one flower on another flower in order to help it to produce seed) to pest control . Read on to expand your insect vocabulary…

COMMON INSECTS*

*An insect has 6 legs, but some creatures from the list below have more. For example, centipedes, and scorpions. Technically, centipedes are not insects, but they are closely related invertebrates /ɪnˈvəːtɪbrəts/ — animals lacking a backbone. As for scorpions, although they are not insects, they are distant cousins of spiders.

caterpillar / ˈkætə(r)ˌpɪlə(r)/

cocoon / kəˈkuːn/

butterfly

dragonfly (a — wing)

cricket

grasshopper

(praying) mantis / ˈmæntɪs/

scorpion (a — sting)

cockroach / ˈkɒkrəʊtʃ/ (= roach — American English)

beetle

termite / ˈtɜː(r)maɪt/ (= white ant — British English)

ant

mosquito

ladybug (American English) / ladybird (British English)

web

spider

firefly

fly

bee

wasp / wɒsp/

moth

centipede / ˈsentɪpiːd/

WHAT’S THE INSECT?

Choose the right word from the list above to complete the definitions (the answer key is at the bottom of the page):

A small insect that eats wood and can damage buildings is a … .

An insect that produces a flashing light when it flies at night is a … .

A small round beetle that is red with black spots is a … .

An insect like a butterfly which usually flies about at night is a … .

A long, thin creature with a lot of legs is a …

A large, green insect that holds its front legs in a way that makes it look as if it is praying is a … .

A small, long animal with many legs that feeds on the leaves of plants, and develops into a butterfly or moth is a … .

Bees are among the most significant animal pollinators in nature.

BEETLE vs. BUG

Note that a bug (informal) is an insect or similar small creature, and a beetle is an insect with a hard covering to its body. So, all beetles are bugs, but not all bugs are beetles. Examples of beetles: ladybugs, cockroaches, scarabs, etc. Examples of bugs that are not beetles: caterpillars, mosquitos, moths, etc.

The word bug has other meanings: 1) (informal) an illness that is usually not serious and is caused by bacteria or a virus: Jamie has picked up a bug (= Jamie has caught an infectious illness). 2) a mistake or problem in a computer program: A bug caused the company’s computer system to crash. 3) a tiny hidden microphone which transmits what people are saying: There was a bug on the phone. 4) a sudden strong enthusiasm for doing something: She’s been bitten by the cooking bug.

Bug is also a verb: 1) It really bugs (= annoys) me when people smoke in restaurants . 2) She keeps bugging (= asking in an annoying way) me to paint the kitchen . 3) He was convinced that his office was bugged (= there was a hidden microphone in the office).

INSECT IDIOMS

To have/get/feel butterflies (in your stomach) — to be very nervous or excited about something: Do you get butterflies when you have to talk to lots of people ?

To have ants in one’s pants (British English) — to be restless or impatient: My children have ants in their pants because tomorrow is Christmas and they are excited about their presents.

(Sb.) wouldn’t harm/hurt a fly — used for saying that someone is very gentle and would not do anything to hurt or upset anyone: Terry may look tough , but he wouldn’t hurt a fly .

To be a fly on the wall — to be able to watch what people are doing without them noticing you: I’d love to be a fly on the wall when they find out.

A fly in the ointment — a problem that spoils something or makes it difficult: The only fly in the ointment is that we can’t use my house for the party .

To have a bee in your bonnet / ˈbɒnɪt/ — to think something is very important and think or talk a lot about it, in a way that other people may find annoying: She never stops talking about dieting — she’s got a real bee in her bonnet about it. A bonnet is a hat that ties under your chin.

A busy bee — someone who is always busy doing things: She’s such a busy bee.

To stir up a hornet’s nest — to cause a situation that makes people very angry or upset: There is no need to stir up a hornet’s nest. A hornet is a type of large wasp.

What a busy bee!

Answer key: 1. termite 2. firefly 3. ladybug 4. moth 5. centipede 6. mantis 7. caterpillar

Materials used : “The New Oxford Picture Dictionary” by E.C. Parnwell

Idioms

Idioms Education

Written by

Education of English idioms, phrases, sayings, learning them and improving English. Website: theidioms.com

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade