Welcome to Palia, an online multiplayer fantasy life sim where you can live your best cozy life. Spend your days crafting, exploring, making friends, or decorating your house. There’s plenty to see and do, but you are also free to kick back and enjoy the day bug catching by the meadow or forest edge. In this guide, we’ll go through everything you need to know about bug catching in Palia, the different bugs, belts, smoke bombs and more.
Note: Palia is a live service game and as such this guide will be updated periodically as the game updates. This guide has been updated to include the Royal Highlands expansion.
How To Catch Bugs
Insects can be found all over Palia and will appear at different times of day with a variety of behaviours. Different bugs can be caught in different Biomes, roaming around, hiding in or on trees, or sometimes under rocks. Many bugs can only be found in specific locations at certain times of day, with others only spawning under other conditions, such as Mining or Foraging.
To begin, you’ll first need a Belt and some Smoke Bombs. To catch a bug, simply equip your smoke bomb and aim with your mouse to hit them. Upon hitting a bug, it will be momentarily stunned, and depending on your Belt tier and the rarity of the bug, there is a chance the bug will be dazed, and you’ll simply be able to go up to and collect it.
If the smoke bomb was unsuccessful and the bug was not dazed, it will continue to flee.
Five main categories of bug behaviour will help you to ascertain their movement patterns as they flee:
- Ground Insects:
- Running – Move along the ground in a straight line away from you, but may change direction when encountering obstacles.
- Jumping – Hop a short distance away from you before pausing for several seconds and jumping again.
- Flying Insects:
- Flying – Fly in a straight line away from you, but may change direction when encountering obstacles.
- Dashing – Dash a short distance away from you before pausing for several seconds and dashing again.
- Idle Insects: Will not attempt to flee from you
Bugs are required for certain Bundles and can be gifted to villagers, and star-quality bugs can be used to customise your home, appearing as a small terrarium with the respective bug inside.
Bug Catching Equipment
As you level up your Bug Catching skills, you’ll be able to buy recipes from Auni to upgrade your equipment.
Belts
| Belt | Bug Catching Lvl | Recipe | Recipe Location | Durability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makeshift Belt | – | – | – | Infinite |
| Standard Belt | Lvl 3 | 1x Makeshift Belt 4x Any Leather 3x Copper Bar | Buy from the Bug Catching Guild Store for 200 Gold | 1,000 |
| Fine Belt | Lvl 6 | 1x Standard Belt 2x Fabric 3x Iron Bar | Buy from the Bug Catching Guild Store for 1,500 Gold | 2,000 |
| Exquisite Belt | Lvl 9 | 1x Fine Belt 2x Silk 3x Palium Bar | Buy from the Bug Catching Guild Store for 3,000 Gold | 3,000 |
Smoke Bombs
| Belt | Bug Catching Lvl | Recipe | Recipe Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Smoke Bomb | – | 1x Clay 1x Sundrop Lily | Auni |
| Sneaky Smoke Bomb | Lvl 2 | 1x Clay 1x Sundrop Lily 1x Fur | Buy from the Bug Catching Guild Store for 50 Gold |
| Sticky Smoke Bomb | Lvl 4 | 1x Clay 1x Fabric 1x Sweet Leaf | Buy from the Bug Catching Guild Store for 500 Gold |
| Supreme Smoke Bomb | Lvl 9 | 1x Clay 1x Pearl 1x Silk | Buy from the Bug Catching Guild Store for 3000 Gold |
| Elderwood Smoke Bomb | – | 1x Whitestone 1x Silk 1x Infected Essence | Quest Reward: Bugging Out |
Consumables
| Belt | Description | Bug Catching Lvl | Recipe | Recipe Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke Candle | Prevents you from alerting bugs for 10 mins | Lvl 5 | 1x Any Red Meat 1x Emerald Carpet Moss 1x Coral | Buy from the Bug Catching Guild Store for 1000 Gold |
| Honey Lure | Lures more insects for a short period of time | Lvl 7 | 1x Gold Bar 1x Dragon’s Beard Peat 4x Apple | Buy from the Bug Catching Guild Store for 2000 Gold |
| Buzzy Jar | Allows you to track rare bugs for 15 mins | Lvl 8 | 3x Uncommon Bug (Any) 2x Glass Bulb 2x Silk Thread | Buy from the Bug Catching Guild Store for 2500 Gold |
Bug Locations
Find bugs in Palia, hiding in trees, under rocks or just flying and crawling around. Different bugs can be caught in different Biomes, and some bugs will only spawn at certain times.
Bahari Bay
Bahari Caves
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scintillating Centipede | Any Time | Running | 130 |
Bahari Coast
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahari Crab | Any Time | Running | 21 |
| Garden Snail | Any Time | Running | 43 |
| Paper Lantern Bug | 6 PM – 3 AM | Fllying | 20 |
| Spineshell Crab | Any Time | Running | 46 |
| Spineshell Snail | 6 PM – 3 AM | Running | 140 |
Bahari Fields
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Stonehopper | Any Time | Jumping | 150 |
| Bahari Bee | Any Time | Dashing | 46 |
| Bahari Glowbug | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 145 |
| Cerulean Cicada | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 46 |
| Common Bark Cicada | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 21 |
| Common Blue Butterfly | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 15 |
| Common Field Cricket | Any Time | Jumping | 20 |
| Fairy Mantis | Any Time | Jumping | 440 |
| Garden Ladybug | Any Time | Running | 46 |
| Kilima Night Moth | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 15 |
| Lunar Fairy Moth | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 40 |
| Rainbow-Tipped Butterfly | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 440 |
| Scintillating Centipede | Any Time | Running | 130 |
| Spitfire Cicada | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 145 |
| Spotted Stinkbug | Any Time | Running | 18 |
Bahari Forest
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Amber Beetle | Any Time | Running | 440 |
| Bahari Bee | Any Time | Dashing | 46 |
| Brighteye Butterfly | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 130 |
| Cerulean Cicada | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 46 |
| Common Bark Cicada | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 21 |
| Common Blue Butterfly | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 15 |
| Garden Snail | Any Time | Running | 43 |
| Hairy Milipede | Any Time | Running | 140 |
| Kilima Night Moth | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 15 |
| Leafstalker Mantis | Any Time | Jumping | 140 |
| Lunar Fairy Moth | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 40 |
| Paper Lantern Bug | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 20 |
| Scintillating Centipede | Any Time | Running | 130 |
| Spitfire Cicada | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 145 |
| Spotted Stinkbug | Any Time | Running | 18 |
Bahari Ponds
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brushtail Dragonfly | Any Time | Dashing | 17 |
| Inky Dragonfly | Any Time | Dashing | 49 |
Bahari Rivers
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brushtail Dragonfly | Any Time | Dashing | 17 |
| Inky Dragonfly | Any Time | Dashing | 49 |
Cliffs Above Pavel Mines
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewelwing Dragonfly | Any Time | Dashing | 440 |
| Rainbow-Tipped Butterfly | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 440 |
| Scintillating Centipede | Any Time | Running | 130 |
Flooded Fortress
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahari Crab | Any Time | Running | 21 |
| Garden Snail | Any Time | Running | 43 |
| Scintillating Centipede | Any Time | Running | 130 |
| Spineshell Crab | Any Time | Running | 46 |
| Spineshell Snail | 6 PM – 3 AM | Running | 140 |
| Vampire Crab | 6 PM – 3 AM | Running | 145 |
Elderwood
Elderwood Caves
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Beetle | Any Time | Running | 140 |
| Blushing Batterfly | Any Time | Flying | 16 |
| Cave Piksii | Any Time | Flying | 49 |
| Nightshadow Butterfly | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 46 |
| Veil Piksii | Any Ti me | Flying | 26 |
Elderwood Forest
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grumpy Granite Rockhopper | Any Time | Jumping | 21 |
| Nightshadow Butterfly | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 46 |
| Sunburst Butterfly | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 46 |
| Veil Piksii | Any Ti me | Flying | 26 |
| Will-o-Wisp Rockhopper | Any Time | Jumping | 440 |
Elderwood Swamps
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draugr Beetle | Any Time | Running | 46 |
| Flame-Horned Rockhopper | Any Time | Jumping | 140 |
| Grumpy Granite Rockhopper | Any Time | Jumping | 21 |
| Will-o-Wisp Rockhopper | Any Time | Jumping | 440 |
Kilima Valley
Daiya Family Farm
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Beetle | Any Time | Running | 145 |
| Spotted Stinkbug | Any Time | Running | 18 |
Dragon Shrine
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duskwing Butterfly | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 40 |
| Spotted Mantis | Any Time | Jumping | 130 |
| Spotted Stinkbug | Any Time | Running | 18 |
Kilima Fields
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Blue Butterfly | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 15 |
| Common Field Cricket | Any Time | Jumping | 20 |
| Firebreathing Dragonfly | Any Time | Dashing | 150 |
| Garden Leafhopper | Any Time | Jumping | 49 |
| Garden Millipede | Any Time | Running | 43 |
| Golden Glory Bee | 3 AM – 6 PM | Flying | 150 |
| Gossamer Veil Moth | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 130 |
| Kilima Night Moth | 6 PM – 3 AM | Flying | 15 |
| Proudhorned Stag Beetle | Any Time | Running | 46 |
| Spotted Stinkbug | Any Time | Running | 18 |
Kilima Lake
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brushtail Dragonfly | Any Time | Dashing | 17 |
| Garden Mantis | Any Time | Jumping | 43 |
| Princess Ladybug | Any Time | Running | 145 |
| Spotted Stinkbug | Any Time | Running | 18 |
Kilima Valley – Caves
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scintillating Centipede | Any Time | Running | 130 |
Kilima Valley – Ponds
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brushtail Dragonfly | Any Time | Dashing | 17 |
| Inky Dragonfly | Any Time | Dashing | 49 |
Royal Highlands
| Bug | Time of Day | Movement | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Mantis | Any Time | Jumping | 24 |
| Banshee Beetle | 65 | ||
| Blue Crab | Any Time | Running | 24 |
| Enfield Moth | 440 | ||
| Heartdrop Mantis | Any Time | Jumping | 65 |
| Jewelled Mantis | Any Time | Jumping | 165 |
| Phoenix Moth | 130 | ||
| Whispering Moth | 43 |
Palia Game Guides
- Palia: All Recipes And Cooking Guide
- Palia: How To Romance Everyone
- Palia: Fishing Guide
- Palia: Bug Catching Guide
- Palia Elderwood Expansion: Everything You Need to Know
- Palia Radiance Rising Update: Everything You Need to Know
- Palia Royal Highlands Expansion: Everything You Need to Know
