All about bugs

In this section we will try to answer your every question about bugs. With so many little animals to deal with (see right), it's very important that they are grouped according to type and characteristic. That's why we need taxonomy - or the science of classifying living organisms - to make things easier for us. If you want to find out more about how we classify invertebrates into different groups and families click here.

This section enables you to search for information about UK invertebrates in two different ways, according to habitat (terrestrial, freshwater or marine) or name (english or scientific/latin).

You can also click on one of our fact sheets to find out lots more about species such as bumblebees, spiders and grasshoppers.

Where to start

With so many species, and so much to learn, why not start here with a straightforward introduction to 'what is an invertebrate', and how they are different to humans and other vertebrates.

• Introduction to Invertebrates

If you want to find out about insects - which make up by far the greatest number of invertebrates in the UK - click on the link below:

• Insects (eg grasshoppers and flies)

Habitats

Everything needs somewhere to live, and bugs are no different. Here we have grouped them according to their three main habitats:

• Terrestrial (ie land) - click here to find out more about creatures such as bumblebees, slugs and butterflies
• Freshwater (rivers, lakes, ponds) - click here to find out about stoneflies, caddisflies and mayflies
• Marine (the sea) - click here to find out about jellyfish and sea spiders

The lists include non-native groups that are established in the UK, groups that are live throughout the ocean (pelagic) but occur in UK waters on occasion, and protozoa which are not technically invertebrates but have a lot of similarities, and, well, we felt sorry for them. We also have a separate list of symbiotic invertebrates, which depend on other creatures for survival, plus a list of insects which are found outside of Britain.

Names

We have also grouped invertebrates by name, both english and scientific

Common lacewing (Chrysopa perla) (c) Jaybee www.phocus-on.co.uk

(Latin). These are arranged in alphabetical order for ease of use. So if you have a particular bug that you're interested in, click on one of the links below.

• English names - click here if it's 'dragonflies' or 'beetles' you're after
• Scientific names - click here if you want to know more about 'odonata' (that's Latin for dragonflies) or 'coleoptera' (beetles)