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Bug catching is a side activity in Starsand Island that feeds into fishing, cooking, ranching, NPC gifting, and Islandpedia completion. There are 20 insect species scattered across the island and the Moonlit Forest, each with its own season, weather, and time-of-day requirements. You catch them with a Bug Net -- no special profession tier is needed.
Property | Details |
|---|---|
Received automatically upon completing the "Recent Returnee" tutorial quest | |
2 Softwood + 2 Fiber at Worktable I | |
Tier | Apprentice. There are no upgraded Bug Net tiers -- one net works for all bugs. |
Also used for | Crab catching |
The Bug Net is one of the first tools you craft. Keep it in your hotbar whenever you are exploring -- you never know when a rare butterfly will appear.
Equip the Bug Net in your hotbar.
Spot a bug in the world. Butterflies flutter near flowers, dragonflies hover near water, fireflies glow at night, and beetles crawl on trees and the ground.
Sneak up. Toggle walk mode (CTRL on PC, R3 on controller). Bugs flee if you run toward them. Sneaking lets you get close without scaring them.
Watch the pattern. Bugs follow predictable flight paths. Observe for a few seconds before swinging.
Lead the swing. There is a slight delay when swinging the net. Aim where the bug is about to be, not where it is right now.
If you miss, wait 10 to 15 seconds. The bug will calm down and resume its pattern. Chasing after a miss is ineffective.
Found near flower patches across the island surface.
Bug | Season(s) | Weather | Active Hours | Sell Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bumblebee | All | All | 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM | ~100 Coins | Can be placed in beehives for honey production. See the Bumblebee Ranching section below. |
Moonshade Butterfly | All | Sunny or Snowy only | 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM | -- | Delphin specifically hates receiving this as a gift. |
Swallowtail Butterfly | All | Sunny or Snowy only | 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM | -- | -- |
Luminwing Butterfly | All | Sunny or Snowy only | 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM | -- | Also found in Dreamfall Garden (Moonlit Forest). Required for the Junior Explorer trial. |
Solarwing Butterfly | All | Sunny or Snowy only | 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM | -- | One of Bruce's favorite gifts. |
Rainbowing Butterfly | All | Sunny or Snowy only | 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM | -- | -- |
Found near rivers, ponds, and lakeshores.
Bug | Season(s) | Weather | Active Hours | Sell Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Banner Dragonfly | All | All | 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM | -- | -- |
King Dragonfly | All | All | 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM | -- | -- |
Yellow Dragonfly | All | All | 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM | -- | -- |
Found in wooded areas on the surface island.
Bug | Season(s) | Weather | Active Hours | Sell Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cicada | Spring, Summer, Autumn | All | 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM | -- | Does not appear in Winter. |
Glazed Cicada | Spring, Summer, Autumn | All | 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM | -- | One of Bruce's favorite gifts. Pastelle hates it, Aurelis dislikes it. |
Mantis | Spring, Summer, Autumn | All | 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM | -- | Does not appear in Winter. |
Emerald Hornscarab | All | All | 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM | -- | Year-round with no restrictions. One of the easiest bugs to find. |
Amber Hornscarab | All | All | 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM | -- | -- |
Fireflies are the only night-exclusive bugs. They appear after sunset and glow in the dark, making them easy to spot but requiring you to stay out late. Found in forested areas on the surface island.
Bug | Season(s) | Weather | Active Hours | Sell Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Red Firefly | All | All | 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM | -- | Mentioned in NPC gift tables as a specific gift item. |
Blue Firefly | All | All | 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM | -- | -- |
Green Firefly | All | All | 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM | -- | -- |
Glazed Firefly | All | All | 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM | -- | -- |
Two insect species are exclusive to the Moonlit Forest underground. Since the forest has its own constant environment, these bugs have no season or weather restrictions.
Bug | Season(s) | Weather | Active Hours | Sell Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Celeb Moth | All | All | 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM | -- | Moonlit Forest only (various areas). |
Velbee | All | All | 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM | -- | Moonlit Forest only. Despite its bee-like appearance, cannot be used in beehives. |
The Junior Explorer trial requires you to catch exactly 5 Luminwing Butterflies in the Dreamfall Garden area of the Moonlit Forest. This is a mandatory step for main story progression.
Dreamfall Garden, inside the Moonlit Forest (past the Gate of Life).
Look near the Moondew Shrooms at the back of the area. They have distinctive glowing wing trails.
Condition | Details |
|---|---|
Time | 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM only. They despawn at night. |
Weather | Sunny or Snowy days. Spawns are very rare in rain -- wait for clear weather. |
Season | All four seasons. |
Enter the Moonlit Forest on a sunny or snowy day, before noon for maximum time.
Navigate to Dreamfall Garden (past the Gate of Life area).
Sneak up on each Luminwing Butterfly using walk mode. Lead your swing slightly.
Catch 5 total. They respawn if you leave and re-enter the area on a qualifying day.
Submit the 5 butterflies at the Luminpath console. A glowing blue bridge extends to the Crystalith Hideout, opening the next area of the forest.
Bugs sell for approximately 30 to 100 Coins each, depending on species. Bumblebees are among the most valuable at around 100 Coins. Selling bugs in bulk is a reliable early-game income source while waiting for crops to grow.
The Separator processes bugs into Protein Powder instantly. However, be aware that processing items in the Separator can decrease their coin value compared to selling raw. Check prices before processing. Protein Powder is used as a cooking ingredient in certain recipes.
Bug Bait is one of three bait types for fishing (alongside Meat Bait and Veggie Bait). It is produced at the Chopper. Fish attracted by Bug Bait include: Butterflyfish, Spinefoot, Moorish Idol, Redfish, Betta, Cichlid, Green Sunfish, Payara, Archerfish, Tilapia, Clown Featherback, Magnificent Killifish, and Glass Bloodfin Tetra.
The Request Bulletin board (outside the Community Center) generates random daily tasks that sometimes demand specific insects. You can accept up to 4 requests per day. Rewards include Coins, Affection boosts with the requesting NPC, and randomized items. Luminwing Butterflies sometimes appear in requests (typically 1 to 3 needed).
Character | Description |
|---|---|
Bruce | -- Loves bugs. His favorites include Solarwing Butterfly and Glazed Cicada. He is the only bug-loving NPC. |
Most other residents | -- Dislike or hate bugs as gifts. Delphin specifically hates the Moonshade Butterfly. Pastelle hates Glazed Cicada. Aurelis and Solara also dislike certain bugs. |
General rule: give bugs to Bruce, give flowers and crops to everyone else.
Each new bug species you catch is automatically recorded in the Islandpedia phone app under the Bio Research category. The Stamp Collection (accessible from the bottom of the Islandpedia screen) tracks collection milestones across categories and rewards Coins for reaching each tier -- up to 7,000 Coins for Gatherables and 25,000 Coins for Crafting milestones.
Bumblebees have a unique dual purpose: they can be caught and sold, or placed in beehives for ongoing honey production.
Component | Details |
|---|---|
Beehive blueprint | Unlocked at Intermediate Rancher from Pastelle's Green Pasture Ranch. |
Beehive recipe | 6 Hardwood Plank + 6 Honeycomb + 3 Iron Sheet |
Honeycomb source | Found in large beehives on White Fig trees (chop with Impact Axe) and in the forest west of Cloudrest Lake and on Windflute Island |
Production | Bumblebees auto-collect Honey from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily |
Queen Bee | Found in large tree hives. Worth 400 Coins. Reproduces Bumblebees when fed Royal Jelly (1 Egg + 5 Honeycomb in a Feeder). |
Crop bonus | Placing beehives near crops reportedly boosts growth speed significantly. |
All 5 butterfly species: Moonshade, Swallowtail, Luminwing, Solarwing, Rainbowing. These require Sunny or Snowy weather.
All 3 dragonfly species: Banner, King, Yellow. Any weather.
All 4 firefly species: Red, Blue, Green, Glazed. Any weather, any season.
Bumblebee, Cicada, Glazed Cicada, Mantis, Emerald Hornscarab, Amber Hornscarab, Celeb Moth, Velbee. Various season restrictions apply.
Always carry the Bug Net when exploring. Bugs appear randomly and some species have narrow time windows -- you do not want to spot a rare butterfly without a net equipped.
Sneak mode is essential. Running toward a bug scares it away. Toggle walk mode before approaching.
Rainy days are bad for butterfly hunting. If you need butterflies (especially Luminwing for the Explorer trial), wait for a sunny or snowy day.
Fireflies only appear at night. Plan a late evening session specifically for them if you want to fill out your Islandpedia.
Save Bumblebees for beehives rather than selling them. The ongoing Honey production and crop growth bonus are worth far more than the 100 Coin sell price.
Bruce loves bugs -- hand him your surplus catches for easy Affection points. Avoid giving bugs to anyone else.
Check the Bulletin Board daily. Bug requests show up regularly and offer solid Coin rewards plus NPC Affection.
Bring a Bug Net into the Moonlit Forest. Celeb Moths and Velbees are exclusive to the underground and count toward Islandpedia completion.
Do not process bugs into Protein Powder unless you need it for a recipe. Selling raw bugs is usually more profitable.
Ores and Resources
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