Insects: Gotta Catch ‘Em All

Did you know the creator of Pokémon was an avid bug collector and amateur entomologist as a kid? His love of exploring nature and watching insects in their various life stages inspired this hit game. It should come as no shock then that entomologists all over the world are big Pokémon fans and the game may even be a stepping stone for future generations of entomologists!

While Pokémon are well known for their special evolutions in which they change body types and abilities, this 'evolution' ability is more fact than fiction! Real-life insects go through their own life stages and each stage can look drastically different from the next.

Even an insect's abilities, behaviors, and diets can vary a lot between life stages, much like Pokémon! While the goal of Pokémon is to "catch 'em' all", you too can 'collect' these real-life Pokémon in your garden by leveling it up into a wildlife habitat that will bring these incredible insects to your neighborhood.

Learn how the evolution of ladybugs, lightning bugs, and dragonflies compares to some of the classic Pokémon characters: Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle.

Lightning Bugs: The Real Life Charmander

Charmander is a fire-type Pokémon that has a flame on its tail, much like the light on lightning bugs! For Charmander, this fire helps display its strength, weakness or even its emotions, but lightning bugs use their light to communicate too. Much like lightning bugs, Charmander goes through similar life stages and in its final evolution it gets the capability of flight and full control of its flame! This is pretty similar to real life fireflies!

While Charmander is a fantastical fictional character, real-life insects like lightning bugs are just as cool! Discover the lightning bug's evolution cycle below:

Larva Stage:

In this stage, lightning bugs are often called "glowworms" which describes their worm-like appearance and lack of wings. Even though they look different from their adult forms, many species can still glow in this stage! Many glowworms are carnivores, eating small bugs, and some even have gills and can be aquatic. Like Charmander, lightning bugs can't fly in this first life stage, but do often still have some control over their "flame".

Pupa Stage:

Many lightning bugs spend their pupa stage in moist leaves, logs, tree bark, and soil. Without a good layer of leaves, lightning bugs may not make it to their adult form!

Adult Stage:

Lightning bugs are nothing short of magical in their adult form. They signal to one another using light blinking patterns that can help them find a mate of the same species. Unlike Charmander, this light is not an actual flame though, instead it's created from the mixing of toxic chemicals in their body! Entomologists think they control the light by how much oxygen their body allows to mix with the chemicals. This chemical also helps keep them safe by making them a toxic choice for many predators.

How to "Catch Em": Making sure you leave the leaves and logs and plant native blooming species can help attract fireflies to your garden if they live in your region! If you do choose to actually physically catch and release fireflies, make sure your hands are free of insect repellant and wash your hands well afterward.

Ladybugs: Using Poison Like Bulbasaur

Bulbasaur is a Pokémon that has some special poison abilities in Pokémon battels, much like ladybugs which ward off predators by being poisonous! Also like ladybugs, Bulbasaur goes through many life stages in which they change body shape and abilities.

While there are similarities between Bulbasaur and ladybugs, there are also several differences in their appearances and stages of life. Learn how they compare and all the evolutions the remarkable ladybug goes through to reach adulthood:

Larva Stage:

If you've ever found a ladybug larva in the wild, you may not have even known what you were looking at! Their long and spiky body is nothing like their adult form, except in its red-orange and black colors. Ladybug larvae are voracious predators of an even tinier animal: aphids. They can eat up to 400 in one day!

Pupa Stage:

The ladybug will then enter its pupa stage in which it attaches itself to a leaf, creates a hard outer shell for its body, and slowly morphs its body into its adult form! During this time, the ladybug doesn't eat but don't let its stillness fool you, it's hard at work on the inside! Bulbasaur also has a special ability where they don't have to eat for long periods of time.

Adult Stage:

The adult ladybugs eat the same food (aphids) as their larva forms but have some unique new abilities. Much like how Bulbasaur has poisonous attacks, these adults can secrete bad-tasting liquid from their joints, making them an unpleasant meal for any large critter looking for a snack!

How to "Catch Em": To attract ladybugs into your own garden, leave leaves and brush piles as places for ladybugs to overwinter. Since ladybugs eat aphids which can be found on plants, be sure to plant a variety of native plant species in your garden!

Dragonflies: Starting Their Life in Water like Squirtle

Squirtle is a water-type Pokémon and much like dragonflies, Squirtle begins its early stage in the water! Also like a dragonfly, Squirtle depends on its hard outer shell (for an insect, this is their exoskeleton) to protect it from harm. This water-type Pokémon has more in common with dragonflies than you might think, even sharing the skill of spraying water! Learn how these two compare and all the evolutions the stunning dragonfly goes through to reach adulthood:

Larva Stage:

You may know dragonflies as flying insects, but did you know they start out underwater like Squirtle does? As larva, dragonflies are aquatic predators and are good at hunting for smaller water creatures like mosquito larva. They even channel their inner Squirtle when they use their special ability to squirt water from their back end to swim extra fast and catch their prey!

Transition Stage:

Unlike many other insects, dragonflies don't have a pupa stage and instead, just emerge from the water and shed their exoskeleton to become their adult form! You can often find these exoskeletons on plants around a pond in summer.

Adult Stage:

As adults, dragonflies fly like drones. Their four wings can move independently, making them incredible fliers. They are so precise in their movements that they're considered one of the most effective predators (much like when Squirtle enters its final powerful stage as Blastoise), catching their prey 95% of the time!

How to "Catch Em": To support dragonflies in your garden, you will need a water source like a pond or vernal pool. Even a small natural water source like this can make a big impact for a lot of native species in your garden! Worried about mosquitoes breeding in the water? Luckily, dragonflies are incredible mosquito predators! If you still have concerns, you can always add a mosquito dunk which will prevent mosquito breeding without harming the dragonflies or other wildlife.

Making Your Garden a Real-Life Pokémon Collection

Insects are an incredibly important part of the local food web and they're swiftly disappearing! You can continue to learn about these critters through our Wildlife Guide, your real-life version of an ever-expanding Pokédex!

You can also help support these real-life Pokémon in your own yards and gardens by avoiding pesticides and offering the habitat essentials they need to survive. Learn more here!

Join the National Wildlife Federation's Garden for Wildlife® movement!