Heartopia Bug Catching Guide
The complete guide to insect catching in Heartopia — how to unlock, where every bug spawns, star rating secrets, insect traps, and the best gold-farming route. Updated February 2026.
“The rarest bugs come out after rain and at night. If you only catch bugs in sunny weather, you're missing more than half the species — and all the best gold.”
How to Unlock
Bug catching is one of Heartopia's seven hobbies. Here's how to get started.
Reach Developer Level 6 to receive a Hobby Expansion Ticket.
- 1Reach Developer Level 6 by completing Resident Requests and story tasks.
- 2Use your Hobby Expansion Ticket and select Insect Catching from the hobby menu.
- 3Find Naniwa — your insect catching mentor — near the forest or garden area.
- 4Naniwa gives you a Basic Bug Net and teaches the fundamental mechanics.
- 5Catch your first bug to officially begin your Insect Journal collection.
Naniwa also sells upgrades, Inflatable Insect Attractors, and repair kits. Check back as you level up.
Catching Mechanics
Insect catching is a stealth-and-timing system. Approach wrong and the bug flees.
- 1Equip your bug net from your inventory.
- 2Spot a bug — look for movement on trees, flowers, grass, and near water.
- 3Walk slowly toward it. Do NOT run — bugs have a detection radius and will flee.
- 4Stop when the net-range indicator appears near the bug.
- 5Swing your net with a tap or click. Success depends on net level, distance, and bug rarity.
If a bug flees, leave the area for a moment and return. Spawn points reset after a short cooldown.
Bug Net Levels
Upgrade your net as you level up — higher nets have wider catch radius and better success rates against rare species.
| Net | Unlocks | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Lv 1 | Standard range, suitable for common bugs |
| Intermediate | Lv 3+ | Larger catch area, improved rare bug success |
| Master | Lv 5+ | Maximum range, best for Ultra Rare species |
All Bugs & Locations
Every confirmed insect species — sorted by required catching level. Frostspore seasonal butterflies are marked separately.
Showing 48 of 48 insects
🌨 Frostspore Mother-of-Pearl
🌨 Frostspore Purple Spotted Swallowtail
🌨 Frostspore Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
🌨 Frostspore Sulkowsky's Morpho
🌨 Frostspore Postman's Butterfly
🎪 Apollo
Asparagus Beetle
Cabbage White
Common Brimstone
European Firebug
Gold Grasshopper
Large Red Damselfly
Old World Swallowtail
Orange Tip
🎪 Postman Butterfly
✨ Sulkowsky's Morpho
Amethyst Flower Beetle
Bumblebee
Common Blue Butterfly
Four-Spotted Skimmer
Green Tiger Beetle
Seven-Spotted Ladybug
Siberian Grasshopper
Wasp Beetle
Ant
Fire-Colored Beetle
Katydid
Mini Moon Moth
🎪 Pink Katydid
Purple Emperor ⭐
Rajah Brooke's Birdwing
Waroona Cuckoo Bee
Beautiful Leopard
Cicada
Common Whitetail
Four-Spotted Ladybug
Large Banded Grasshopper
Mediterranean Mantis
Asian Lady Beetle
Giant Asian Mantis
Mourning Cloak
Peacock Butterfly
Splay-Footed Carpenter
🎪 White Witch
Beautiful Demoiselle ⭐
Blue Shieldbug
Green Birdwing
Stag Beetle ⭐
🎪 Event-only | 🌨 Winter Frost Season only | ✨ Attractor only | ⭐ High gold value
Areas Overview
Each area has unique species. Start with Town/Suburbs, expand into Forest and Mountain as you level up.
| Area | Notable Bugs | Best Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Central Area / Suburbs | Orange Tip, Common Brimstone, Common Blue Butterfly, Large Banded Grasshopper, Green Birdwing | Beginner-friendly; visit at evening for Birdwing |
| Flower Field | Asparagus Beetle, Bumblebee, Katydid, Purple Emperor, Waroona Cuckoo Bee, Peacock Butterfly, Splay-Footed Carpenter | Sunny/Rainbow for most; Whale Mountain for rare species |
| Forest | Old World Swallowtail, Wasp Beetle, Cicada, Asian Lady Beetle, Stag Beetle, Beautiful Demoiselle | Night for beetles; Rainy/Rainbow for Demoiselle and Asian Lady Beetle |
| Fishing Village | Cabbage White, Siberian Grasshopper, Ant, Beautiful Leopard, Blue Shieldbug | Wharf at night (Rainy) for Beautiful Leopard; Lighthouse mornings for Shieldbug |
| Onsen Mountain | Gold Grasshopper, Green Tiger Beetle, Fire-Colored Beetle, Mini Moon Moth, Four-Spotted Ladybug, Mediterranean Mantis, Giant Asian Mantis, Mourning Cloak | Ruins (Sunny) for Mantis; Crater Lake (Rainy) for Ladybug; Onsen area morning for Moon Moth |
| Waterside / River / Lakeshore | Large Red Damselfly, Four-Spotted Skimmer, Common Whitetail | Rainy or Rainbow weather dramatically increases spawn rate |
| Home (Your House) | European Firebug (Rocks), Amethyst Flower Beetle (Rainy), Rajah Brooke's Birdwing | Check rocks near your house; Rainy weather unlocks Amethyst Beetle |
Time & Weather
Ignoring time and weather cuts your catchable species in half. Plan sessions around these triggers.
| Condition | Best Bugs to Target |
|---|---|
| Daytime (Morning / Afternoon) | Most butterflies, bees, beetles on flowers; Mini Moon Moth (Onsen, Sunny); Blue Shieldbug (Lighthouse) |
| Evening | Purple Emperor, Beautiful Leopard, Large Banded Grasshopper, Cicada; transition window catches both day and night species |
| Night | Green Birdwing, Stag Beetle, Asian Lady Beetle, Beautiful Demoiselle, Mourning Cloak, Rajah Brooke's Birdwing |
| Sunny / Hot | Cicada, Giant Asian Mantis, Mini Moon Moth, Splay-Footed Carpenter, Mourning Cloak, Large Banded Grasshopper |
| Rainy / Snowy | Amethyst Flower Beetle, Four-Spotted Skimmer, Seven-Spotted Ladybug, Four-Spotted Ladybug, Common Whitetail, Beautiful Leopard, Stag Beetle, Beautiful Demoiselle, Asian Lady Beetle |
| Rainbow | All Rainy-weather bugs PLUS higher spawn rates for rare species across all areas. Best single weather for collection progress. |
Rainbow weather is the single best condition for rare bugs — it triggers both Sunny and Rainy spawn pools simultaneously. Check your smartwatch forecast and prioritize rainbow sessions.
Star Rating System
Catching a bug once isn't enough. Each species has a 1–5 star rating in your Insect Journal, and completing a 5-star entry requires catching larger specimens.
How Star Ratings Work
- Bug size is the primary driver of star rating — larger specimens get higher stars.
- There is no visible size indicator before you catch the bug. It's a random roll each catch attempt.
- Higher net levels improve your odds of catching higher-rarity (and larger) specimens.
- Catching the same species repeatedly increases your chance of eventually landing a 5-star specimen.
- Some species (especially Lv5-6) only yield high-star specimens once your catching level matches or exceeds their level.
| Strategy | Star Potential |
|---|---|
| Catch at net level lower than bug level | ★☆☆☆☆ – ★★☆☆☆ (Low) |
| Catch at matching net/catching level | ★★★☆☆ – ★★★★☆ (Medium) |
| Catch with Master net + high catching level | ★★★★☆ – ★★★★★ (High) |
| Repeat catches of same species | Gradually increases average star rating |
Completing 5-star entries for milestone numbers of species rewards Moonlight Crystals and exclusive collection titles.
Tools & Traps
Insect Traps (Craftable)
Insect Traps passively catch bugs while you do other things. Three types exist, each craftable at your workbench.
| Trap Type | Catches | Crafting Recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Insect Trap | Common insects (Lv 1-2) | Nails ×3, Bug Lure ×2, Wire ×3, Wood Planks ×5 |
| Advanced Insect Trap | Rare species (Lv 3-4) | Higher-tier materials (unlocked at Lv 3+) |
| Large Insect Trap | Multiple bugs quickly, all rarities | Advanced crafting materials (unlocked at Lv 5+) |
Inflatable Insect Attractor
Place in an area with existing bug spawns (Flower Field or Forest recommended). Attracts rare insects — currently the only reliable way to catch Sulkowsky's Morpho.
Tip: The Attractor lasts only 1 minute and has a small area of effect. For best results: pre-catch 2-3 common bugs in the area first, then place the Attractor. The pre-catches warm up the spawn pool and improve Sulkowsky's Morpho appearance rate.
Warning: Do not place the Attractor in an empty area — spawn rates are much lower. Always pre-catch nearby bugs first.
Bait the Insects Event
A periodic event that temporarily spawns exclusive bug species unavailable through normal catching.
🎪 Exclusive event bugs: Apollo, Postman Butterfly, Pink Katydid, White Witch
Check the Events tab in your in-game menu for the event schedule. The event spawns special insects at designated event zones marked on your map.
Note: The Bait the Insects event is the only way to catch Apollo and Postman Butterfly outside of it. Don't skip this event if you want a complete Insect Journal.
Gold Farming Route
Bug catching isn't the highest-earning hobby, but targeted runs yield solid passive income. Focus on rare bugs with high sell prices.
| Bug | Sell Price | Where & When |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Swallowtail | 500 Gold | Mountain Area — Sunny weather |
| Jewel Beetle | 450 Gold | Forest — Night |
| Luna Moth | 380 Gold | Forest — Night, Clear weather |
| Blue Morpho | 350 Gold | Flower Fields — Morning |
| Atlas Moth | 320 Gold | Forest — Dusk |
| Rainbow Beetle | 300 Gold | Mountain — After Rain |
Efficient Daily Circuit
Forest Lake Shore (Rainy/Rainbow bugs) → Flower Field: Whale Mountain (Purple Emperor + Splay-Footed Carpenter) → Onsen Mountain: Ruins (Giant Asian Mantis, Sunny) → Forest: Jump Puzzle (Stag Beetle, Rainy) → Fishing Village: Wharf (Beautiful Leopard, Night)
Tips & Tricks
Walk, never run
Bugs detect sprint movement and immediately flee. Always approach by walking, especially for rare species.
Shake trees for beetles
Some tree-trunk beetles can be shaken loose by interacting with certain trees in the Forest and Mountain areas.
Check rainy days first
Rain unlocks a separate spawn pool. The bugs that appear in rain (Rainy/Rainbow) are disproportionately rare and valuable — never skip a rainy session.
Night circuit for high-value bugs
Jewel Beetle, Luna Moth, Atlas Moth, Green Birdwing, and Stag Beetle all spawn at night. A dedicated nighttime loop yields far more gold than daytime catching.
Warm up spawn pools before using the Attractor
Catch 2-3 common bugs near the Attractor placement spot before activating it. This significantly improves rare spawn rates within the Attractor's radius.
Season-exclusive bugs: don't miss the window
Frostspore butterflies only appear Jan 31–Mar 13. Mark your calendar. Once the season ends, you can still view them in your Journal but cannot catch new specimens until next year.