All Bugs & Where To Find Them

The enchanting world of Palia invites players to embark on an adventure filled with discovery, community, and the thrill of exploration. Scurrying around on the ground or darting around in the air, these players may find a myriad of insects waiting to be discovered, caught, and cataloged. Several of these bugs are considered valuable commodities in the game while others are required for quests and collections. They can also be stored as decorations inside a player’s home.

Discover the intricate mechanics of bug-catching and all the tools and techniques you’ll need to become a master entomologist. Prepare your belts and smoke bombs, don your exploration gear, and get ready to conquer the art of bug-catching in Palia.

How To Catch Bugs

Bug-catching is a skill that requires patience, stealth, and good aim. First, speak to Auni – the Bug Catching Guild representative – to receive your first belt. It’s called a Makeshift Belt. You can return to him to purchase upgrades further down the line. He will also gift you some Standard Smoke Bombs used to trap bugs. As you increase your bug-catching skills, you will also unlock new smoke bombs and consumables with different effects.

After locating and cautiously approaching a bug, hold down the left mouse button (or ZR button on Switch) to begin aiming. Release the button to throw the smoke bomb. You can also press the right mouse button (or B on Switch) to cancel the aim. If you miss or get too close to the bug, you might startle it. It will try to flee from you. If you take too long or miss too many times, the bug will despawn. You will have to try to anticipate its movements. Continue throwing smoke bombs at it until it is fully stunned. Loot the bug by pressing F (or A on Switch) and it will go into your backpack. Complete Zeki’s Expanded Backpack Quest to get more space in your inventory.

Similar to games like Animal Crossing, certain bugs are linked to different locations and times of the day. Pay close attention to the in-game clock, as some bugs only spawn during morning/day or evening/night. A handful of bugs, such as cicadas, spawn on trees. Chopping down specific trees can spawn bugs like bees. There are also a few bugs that will only spawn after mining ore nodes or foraging plants.

You can also
catch bugs with friends
. Don’t be stingy. As long as you hit the bug once, you will be able to loot it once it is fully stunned. Let others try to hit the bug with bombs, so you can all collect it!

Catch Rates

Common

Common bugs in Palia have 100% catch rates regardless of belt upgrades – unless they are gold-star quality. You will know when you see a gold star bug in the wild because it will sparkle and emit a soft chiming noise. Gold star bugs sell for more gold than normal bugs. Upgrade your belt to increase the likelihood of catching gold-star quality bugs.

Uncommon

Uncommon bugs are slightly more difficult to catch than common ones in Palia, and even more difficult if they are gold-star quality. It might be best to use Sneaky Smoke Bombs to be stealthy. These bombs can help prevent the bug from being alerted.

Rare

Rare bugs are significantly more difficult to catch, and will often require multiple smoke bombs. Try your hand at some Sticky Smoke Bombs to slow these dashing bugs down. Catching these bugs offers a chance of silk threads. Most drop anywhere between zero and seven silk threads.

Epic

You’d be extremely lucky to catch an epic bug in Palia. It takes a lot of time, effort, and bombs to catch these little suckers. Although they can be expensive, it might be a good idea to have some Supreme Smoke Bombs in your belt to ensure a perfect catch. Epic bugs drop anywhere from zero to fourteen silk threads.

All Bugs

Common

Uncommon

Rare

Epic

The Legendary Ancient Flowbug can be caught any time in the Temple Of the Gales during the Silver-Winging It Quest. They are fairly easy to catch despite being in their own tiered category. The Ancient Flowbug cannot be sold.