Synonyms and antonyms of Types of insect in British Thesaurus

ant (noun)

a small insect that lives under the ground in large organized groups called colonies

aphid (noun)

a very small insect that lives on plants and destroys them

bedbug (noun)

an insect with a round body and no wings that sucks people’s blood, especially when they are in bed

bee (noun)

a flying insect that has black and yellow bands and can sting you. Bees make honey, and bees that are not wild live in hives. The sound a bee makes is written as buzz.

beetle (noun)

an insect with a smooth hard back

black widow (noun)

a very poisonous spider that lives in parts of North America and Asia

bloodsucker (noun)

an insect that feeds on the blood of animals or people

blowfly (noun)

a fly that lays its eggs on meat or dead animals

bluebottle (noun)

a large fly with a shiny blue body

boll weevil (noun)

an insect that lives in North America and damages cotton plants

bumblebee (noun)

a large bee

butterfly (noun)

a flying insect with large colourful wings

caterpillar (noun)

a small long thin insect with many legs that eats plants and develops into a butterfly or moth

centipede (noun)

a very small insect with a long narrow body and many pairs of legs

chigger (noun)

a small insect larva, common in warm parts of the US, whose bite causes painful lumps on your skin

cicada (noun)

an insect that lives in trees and tall grass in hot countries and makes a loud high noise

cockroach (noun)

an insect similar to a large beetle that lives in places where food is kept

crane fly (noun)

a flying insect with very long legs

cricket (noun)

a small brown insect that moves by jumping and makes a loud noise by rubbing its front wings together

daddy long legs (noun)

British a fly with a thin body and very long thin legs

daddy long legs (noun)

American an insect like a spider with a round body and very long thin legs

dragonfly (noun)

an insect with a long narrow brightly coloured body and two pairs of transparent wings

dust mite (noun)

a type of very small insect that lives in houses and causes allergies in some people

earthworm (noun)

a type of worm that lives in soil

earwig (noun)

a brown insect with a pair of curved parts at the back end of its body

firefly (noun)

an insect that produces a flashing light when it flies at night

flea (noun)

a small jumping insect that lives on animals and bites them

fly (noun)

a common small insect with wings. Flies eat food, are often found near rubbish, and are responsible for spreading many diseases

fruit fly (noun)

a very small fly that eats decaying fruit

gadfly (noun)

a fly that bites cows and horses

glow-worm (noun)

a small insect without wings that produces light from its body at night

gnat (noun)

a very small flying insect that bites people but is not dangerous

grasshopper (noun)

a large insect with long back legs that moves by jumping and makes short high sounds

greenfly (noun)

a very small green insect that damages plants

honeybee (noun)

a flying insect with black and yellow stripes that makes honey and can sting. A honeybee is often simply called a bee.

hornet (noun)

a black and yellow flying insect that can sting you. It is a type of large wasp.

horsefly (noun)

a large flying insect that bites horses, cows, and other large animals

housefly (noun)

a very common flying insect that often lives in houses and is attracted by food

ladybird (noun)

British a small insect that has a round red or yellow body with small black spots on it

ladybug (noun)

American a ladybird

leech (noun)

a small soft creature that sticks to the skin of other animals in order to feed on their blood. Leeches were often used in the past as a type of medical treatment.

lice (noun)

small insects that live on people’s skin and in their hair. Lice is the plural of louse.

locust (noun)

a type of grasshopper that flies over wide areas in very large groups called swarms, often destroying crops

louse (noun)

a small insect that lives on the bodies of animals and people

maggot (noun)

a small soft creature with no arms or legs that later changes into a fly. Maggots are found in old meat and dead bodies.

mantis (noun)

a praying mantis

mayfly (noun)

a flying insect that lives near water and has a very short life

midge (noun)

a small fly that bites people and often lives near water

millepede ()

another spelling of millipede

millipede (noun)

an insect with a long thin body and many pairs of small legs

mite (noun)

a very small insect that lives in foods, on plants, or on animals

mosquito (noun)

a small flying insect that bites the skin of people and animals in order to feed on their blood. Some types of mosquito can spread a serious disease called malaria.

moth (noun)

a flying insect like a butterfly that flies mostly at night. The young form of some types of moth eat cloth

praying mantis (noun)

a large insect with long front legs

queen (noun)

biology a large female insect that can lay eggs

roach (noun)

Americaninformal a cockroach

sand fly (noun)

a small fly that lives in warm regions of Asia, Africa, and southern Europe. It can spread disease when it bites.

scarab (noun)

a large black beetle (=insect with a hard skin) that ancient Egyptians believed was holy

silkworm (noun)

a type of caterpillar that produces silk when it is young

silverfish (noun)

an insect with a grey or silver body that often causes damage to paper products or clothing

slug (noun)

a small creature with a soft body and no legs that moves very slowly. Slugs are similar to snails but they have no shell.

snail (noun)

a small animal that has a soft body, no legs, and a hard shell on its back. Snails move very slowly.

songololo (noun)

South African an insect with a thin body and many legs; a millipede

spider (noun)

a small creature with eight legs that usually weaves a web to catch insects

stick insect (noun)

a long thin insect that looks like a small stick

tarantula (noun)

a large poisonous spider that lives in Central and South America

termite (noun)

a small insect that eats wood and can damage buildings

tick (noun)

an insect that sucks your blood

tortoiseshell (noun)

a type of butterfly that is brown and orange

tsetse fly (noun)

a flying insect in Africa that bites people and animals in order to drink their blood. It can spread a serious disease called sleeping sickness.

varroa mite (noun)

a very small insect that is a parasite of honey bees and gives them a disease called varroatosis that kills them

wasp (noun)

a black and yellow flying insect that can sting you

weevil (noun)

an insect that eats plants and can destroy crops

woodlouse (noun)

a small grey insect that lives in places that are slightly wet

woodworm (noun)

a small insect that makes holes in wood

worms (noun)

a creature with a long soft body and no bones or legs