There are thousands of green bugs in the world and North America. Some of them can fly while others can crawl.
Green bugs such as grasshoppers may even jump.
Bugs can be green for camouflage. This is an evolutionary adaptation that helps them blend in with the leaves they feed on or live on.
A bug may start life as a differently-colored nymph to become a type of green adult bug.
Some species may have uniform green coloring while other bugs can show a combination of colors.
Here are some of the typical bugs that have uniform green coloring or that are mostly green.
Table of Contents
1. Green Lacewings
Green Lacewings (family Chrysopidae) are a common species of green bugs in North America. They might grow to a wingspan of up to 60mm.
While North American Green Lacewings aren’t as large as tropical Green Lacewings, they can still appear larger than other bugs.
A green base body color is specific to these bugs. Some are pure green while others are green to yellow.
Large golden eyes are seen across multiple species. The color of the eyes may also be closer to brown.
Green Lacewings are also known for having transparent and slightly iridescent wings with visible veins. These veins might also have a green color or they can be both green and black.
2. Banana Cockroaches
Banana Cockroaches (Panchlora nivea) are a constant presence in Southern US states.
These cockroaches have a tropical native habitat but they expand North into the United States up to South Carolina.
An atypical green color is specific to these roaches. A lime-green or bright green color is what these roaches are known for.
The young Banana Cockroaches aren’t green, however. They have a more common dark brown color and they turn green as they mature.
A rare sight in homes, these types of roaches might be seen on fresh or rotting fruit around the garden or scavenging in dead vegetation.
Bugs of this genus are also known to be rare pests as they prefer to live outdoors.
3. Tree Crickets
Green coloring dominates the appearance of Tree Crickets (subfamily Oecanthinae).
These are nocturnal species that rely on camouflaging coloring whenever resting on the leaves of various plants.
The species has both forewings and hindwings, which are green, as its body.
The green coloring is specific to its long thin legs as well while its antennae might also be partially green.
The eyes of the species are also partly green or yellow.
Present in all North American habitats, Tree Crickets may also come in brown coloring in a few sub-species.
One of the most representative green types of Tree Crickets is the Snowy Tree Cricket. This species is almost entirely green with a body size of around 0.6 inches.
4. Pure Green Sweat Bee
The mostly green color is specific to the Pure Green Sweat Bee (Augochlora pura).
Native to Eastern parts of North America, the Pure Green Sweat Bee is among the primary species of bees only seen in the summer.
A green body and dark legs with white hairs make up the coloring of the species. Large black eyes and smoky transparent wings are also specific to these bees.
They can be seen each year, up to August. Starting with the fall, females start to retreat into dead wood or under tree bark.
Male Pure Green Sweat Bees die in the fall and they only start coming back in the spring and towards the beginning of the following summer.
5. Brown-winged Striped Sweat Bee
This type of bee (Agapostemon splendens) is also mostly green but it has a considerably wider US distribution compared to Pure Green Sweat Bees.
An area between Montana and Texas marks the Northern and Southern limits of its habitat.
The species is seen during different periods around the year, depending on its region.
Brown-winged Striped Sweat Bees are mostly green.
The abdomen has white or yellow contrasting stripes while its legs and antennae are mostly black.
The eyes of the species may be yellow, yellow and black, off-white, or silver.
Its wings have a smoky brown and slightly translucent appearance that inspires the name of the species.
6. Texas Striped Sweat Bee
Texas Striped Sweat Bees (Agapostemon texanus) are native to Southern US but they have expanded to multiple other regions of North and Central America.
A mostly green thorax is specific to both males and females. Male Texas Striped Sweat Bees also have yellow and black striped abdomens.
These species grow to a maximum length of 11mm, with females being slightly larger than males.
A nesting habit is specific to the species which lives underground. Females are responsible for building large nests which sometimes count as more than 10 tunnels or chambers.
These bees are seen visiting flowers in the summer. They visit tens of flowers per hour with a tendency to move away from their nest on each flower they visit in a planned pollen-collection strategy.
7. Metallic Bluish-green Cuckoo Wasp
This species of wasp (Chrysis angolensis) is a common species in North America.
Not intensely studied, this species is mostly spotted on the East and West Coasts, but it also lives further inland.
The species feeds on the larvae and adult mud dauber. It provides a bug to each of its eggs which females seal up in an underground nest.
As its name implies, this type of wasp has a green color. A metallic nuance is specific to the green color which seems brighter in direct sunlight.
Females have long ovipositors but they don’t sting.
The reaction to seeing humans or animals is one of the ways to distinguish Metallic Bluish-green Cuckoo Wasps from other species.
These wasps tend to curl up into a ball either remaining motionless or moving a lot less until the threat passes.
8. Emerald Cockroach Wasp
This type of wasp is common in a few areas around the world. Native to Asia, the wasp has an emerald green color with additional red and black sections.
Wasps of this family are venomous and they might bite. Their sting is typically only used on common prey as this wasp feeds bugs such as cockroaches to its nymphs.
Emerald Cockroach Wasps (Ampulex compressa) paralyze various species of cockroaches by injecting venom into them.
They then eat the antennae of the roach so that they have no more moving capacity and carry them back to their nests when the cockroach is fed to the emerging nymph.
9. Six-spotted Tiger Beetle
This type of tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata) is named after the 6 white spots on its elytra. Still, some bugs of the species have more spots while others have fewer.
It’s not even uncommon to see the Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in full green elytra with spots.
This species has a metallic tint green color. It has overlapping mandibles which might help distinguish it from other beetles in the forest.
Six-spotted Tiger beetles live in woodlands where they can find plenty of spiders.
They feed on different species of arthropods and are known to bite humans as well. While not very painful, the bite can happen when this species is handled.
Sandy areas of woodlands are the common places where these tiger beetles are likely to be spotted. These are mating areas as emerging nymphs burrow into the sand once emerged.
Further Reading:
10. Common Green June Beetle
This species of beetle (Cotinis nitida) has a widespread presence in North America. It can be found from coast to coast and it can be identified based on its distinct green coloring.
The mid-dorsal section of the species is mostly green. Its sides have a golden or gold-to-brown color.
Green is also seen on the head of the beetle but not on its legs which are mostly brown or golden.
A specific darkening is seen on the species with age. These beetles are bright green at first but they can become darker green as they age.
The Common Green June beetle is a pest its green colors help it out with.
It can be spotted on fruit trees but its green and golden color may help it blend in with the ecosystem at times.
This species is a pest of fruits such as pear and apple which it can eat before picking.
11. Dogbane Leaf Beetle
Dogbane Leaf Beetles (Chrysochus auratus) are among the few species which exclusively feed on dogbane.
This is a type of toxic plant that animals and humans cannot eat. Cardiac arrest is possible due to the toxic compounds of the plant.
The Dogbane Leaf Beetle can eat the plant without showing any reactions to its toxins.
A mostly metallic green elytra color is specific to the beetle.
A brown section with golden margins is further distinguishable on its elytra.
The legs of the bug are half green and half black while its antennae are fully black.
Size-wise, the species is similar to other beetles that eat plants. It may reach a maximum length of 11mm but most individuals measure around 8-9mm.
Dogbane also plays an important role in the lifecycle of the species. Mated females lay eggs on the underside of dogbane leaves.
12. Figeater Beetle
This type of beetle (Cotinis mutabilis) is among the largest beetles in Southern North America.
It may measure up to 1.2 inches and it’s also becoming a common sight in gardens and around the house.
Its capacity to eat organic materials and fruit make it a common sight on apple tree or peaches in the country.
This species is also a constant presence in mulch across Southern US states.
The bug is almost entirely green. A green elytron with yellow to golden lateral stripes makes them species similar to Green June Beetles.
The green coloring of these beetles might also be impacted by their food choices. For example, the species might eat cacti, but only the cacti they can find in moist areas.
Figeater Beetles prefer moist areas, unlike other types of green bugs. They are often found in the moist areas of the Southwest.
13. Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil
One of the typical almost all-green bugs that eat plants is The Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil (Polydrusus formosus).
This species has bright green elytra with an emerald undertone.
Striations are seen across its elytra which also shows a black central dorsal section.
Golden yellow nuances are also spotted along its body.
The legs and the antennae of Green Immigrant Leaf Weevils are also almost completely green.
This species is small compared to other green weevils. It only grows up to a size of 0.2 inches.
Spotting it around the garden is a worrying sign as the species is a known fruit pest. It may feed on apples, strawberries, and other berries in the garden.
14. Common Green Bottle Fly
Both moist and arid areas are the US are habitats for The Common Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia sericata).
This is a species of fly with an atypical metallic green body color.
Flies of this genus are particularly common in the spring and summer months when they mate in high numerous
Females lay eggs in carried and can also lay eggs in living livestock. Carrying pathogens from carrion to live animals also bears the risk of spreading disease.
Various species of sheep are particularly vulnerable to these types of flies.
The female of the species may decide to lay eggs directly on the skin of living sheep. This comes with a high risk of developing diseases and skin-level infections such as myiasis.
In other cases, these types of flies may only lay their eggs in the wool of sheep, which comes with a reduced risk of developing myiasis.
15. Green Stink Bug
Stink Bugs are among the typical pest species to be managed on crops and in gardens.
The Green Stink Bug is named after its all-green coloring. This species of bug is common around the world.
It appears in the summer when it may invade crops in high numbers, particularly those of legumes such as soy, eggplant, and beans.
Green Stink Bugs (Chinavia hilaris) may also fest fruits such as peaches, apricots, and pears. However, this species prefers legumes as its often seen on corn crops.
Direct damages to the species incur lower fruit yield. The fruits and leaves they might eat aren’t sellable or they even die as this bug injects enzymes into them when feeding.
The species has smaller and similar-looking nymphs. Unlike the adult Green Stink Bug, nymphs have a black dominant color.
16. Pale Green Assassin Bug
Pale Green Assassin Bugs (Zelus luridus) are some of the most common green predators that are green through all of their life cycles.
The Pale Green Assassin Bug nymph is all-green. The adult is also green but it has yellow and brown marks on the wings as well.
Green coloring represents a camouflaging benefit for these species.
As good ambush predators, these types of bugs generally wait motionless for their prey to come in a close distance.
Pale Green Assassin Bugs can also move onto prey and start moving for insects but they prefer to stay still as they are invisible to many insects when stationed on leaves.
17. Broken-backed Bug
A light green color is specific to the Broken-backed Bug (Taylorilygus apicalis).
Unlike other species that are also green, the Broken-backed Bug is a species with a pale green color that may also appear slightly transparent.
Other morphs of the species include a brown color, but this appearance is rare compared to its green morph.
Asters are among the most common species of flowers that these bugs feed on.
Other hosts are also considered by the green species in the absence of asters, particularly willow and other plants or trees in riparian areas.
18. Rice Leaf Bug
One of the most common types of rice pests that are also green is The Rice Leaf Bug (Trigonotylus caelestialium).
These bugs have a thin stick-like body that has a bright green color. Its legs and antennae have a light brown color.
This is a species that is mostly a pest of forage crops, the type of crops only used as food for livestock.
Rice fields along these forage crops have been invaded by this species. Initially not their first choice of food, rice grains eventually become a staple of this species and have even gone on to inspire the bug’s name.
Native to Asia, this species is now also present in high numbers in North America.
Some of the early signs of these bugs include spots on the plant’s kernel. Management techniques are based on prevention, on the other hand.
19. Northern Flatid Planthopper
A bright green color is specific to the male Northern Flatid Planthopper (Flatormenis proxima). This is a species that has multiple green nuances.
Its base coloring is bright green while the veins are dark green.
The body and the short thin legs of the species are also bright green.
A common species that eat leaves, this type of planthopper has unique wing shapes. It has long wings which it keeps close to its body so that it appears similar to a leaf itself.
The overall green color of the species further helps it camouflage itself.
20. Green Cone-headed Planthopper
A leaf-mimicking appearance is specific to The Green Cone-headed Planthopper (Acanalonia conica). This is a species known for its dark green wings, body, and head.
The lighter green veins on their tent-like wings further make them undistinguishable from host plant leaves from some angles.
This is a species that can even cover itself in a wax-like residue. This capacity is also seen on Northern Flatid Planthopper.
The nymphs of the species are more likely to be covered in this waxy texture to keep predators away.
This species rarely relies on its wings as it prefers to hop. It can hop distances of over 10 inches.
Present in the Southeastern United States, the species rarely impacts the health of its host plants by feeding on leaves alone.
The possible damage is seen when their sticky residue known as honeydew forms in large amounts favoring the growth of molds which may kill the host plant.
21. Versute Sharpshooter
One of the main traits of the Versute Sharpshooter (Graphocephala versuta) is its green base coloring. This isn’t a species that’s all green.
Instead, this is a species that has dark green coloring with blue and brown or tan stripes along its wings.
Black coloring is also contrasting its mostly green appearance.
Versute Sharpshooters are a species with rapid multiplication with up to a few yearly broods.
This is a species that relies on its green coloring and reduced size when feeding on leaves. Predators might not spot it easily.
However, these bugs can also hide on the underside of leaves.
Most large populations of Versute Sharpshooters are found in Costa Rica and partially in the United States.
22. Potato Leafhopper
One of the most common pest green bugs is the Potato Leafhopper (Empoasca fabae).
This is a small species that rarely grows to a length of 3mm but which is a pest of hundreds of plants and legumes.
Potatoes are among the most impact species, as their name suggests. Clover fields may also see Potato Leafhopper invasions.
This small species is known to eat the entire potato plant.
Its damages to this plant are divided by age. For example, the young bug cannot eat the harder stems and may only eat potato leaves at first.
Known for its green body, this species can be identified on crops by the spots on its wings. There are at least 6 spots on the wings of the specie.
Faint yellow coloring is also seen in the shape of stripes just behind its head.
Long migration is one of the reasons farmers need to prevent the specie. These bugs can fly for days just to reach their desired crop.
Most times, their migration efforts go unnoticed by humans as Potato Leafhoppers only fly at night.
23. Torpedo Bug
Torpedo Bugs (Siphanta acuta) are a growing species of leafhoppers with green coloring.
This species is native to Australia but its presence is now confirmed on multiple other continents, including North America.
The green color is specific to Torpedo Bugs at all stages of their life. This is a species characterized by uniform green coloring more than other green bugs both as a nymph and as an adult.
A faint green color is specific to the small Torpedo Bug Nymph. Once an adult, the green color darkens slightly but it still covers the head, body, and tent-shaped wings of the species.
Torpedo Bugs are also some of the largest types of green leafhoppers outside of Australia. Some of the largest bugs of the species measure around 10mm.
These bugs feed on leaves and they rarely damage the host plant irremediably. Small or nymph Torpedo Bugs are mostly covered in a waxy substance that may protect them from predators further.
24. Green Lynx Spider
One of the largest types of green bugs is green spiders, particularly the Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans). This species might look venomous, but it poses no threat to humans.
It relies on its green coloring to capture various types of prey.
A combination of multiple green nuances makes this species one of the most representative green bugs as its body is dark green while its legs are bright green to white.
Large white eyes are further distinguishable on the species.
Green Lynx Spiders are also present in The United States.
This is a species that has a constant presence on crops where it can sometimes be seen as a biological control agent as it feeds on detrimental species.
For example, The Green Lynx Spider is one of the few species which prefers moths such as the Cotton Leafworm Moth.
A purely beneficial role may not be attributed to this species. It also feeds on beneficial insects to the ecosystem.
25. Red-spotted Orbweaver
The Red-spotted Orbweaver (Araneus cingulatus) is another common green spider in North America.
A species that are rarely seen due to its preferential woodland habitat, this is a green spider that lives up on trees where it sets up its spider web.
Mostly green body coloring means this is also one of the species which is known to be overlooked by passing insects.
Its body is mostly green while its legs have a uniform green color.
A bulbous body is specific to these spiders. Yellow dorsal coloring is also specific to this species. The yellow patch on the spider also comes with tiny red dots.
26. Potato Aphid
This type of winged aphid is among the most dangerous pests for various crops.
A green body color is representative of the species. These aphids also have large transparent wings which are also larger than the body of the species.
Seeing Potato Aphids (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) is a bad sign as these are known potato pests. Furthermore, they easily migrate to fruit trees such as peaches.
Potato aphids live on crops and they also invade greenhouses.
This species can be highly detrimental as it can feed on the tissue of various plants as well as drink sap directly from its host plants.
27. California Timema
An atypical shape is specific to the California Timema (Timema californicum). This species has a tubular body that may resemble a type of stick.
Its dark green body is also matched by lighter green legs and even brighter green to white long antennae.
Short brown cerci contrast the green color of the species.
California Timema further features small yellow dorsal dots and long lateral yellow stripes along its body.
28. Praying Mantis
There are over 2.000 species of Praying Mantises in the world. 21 of these are found in North America.
The green coloring is specific to many types of Praying Mantises, alongside brown.
A green Praying Mantis uses its strong raptorial legs with its camouflaging color.
The large bugs are known predators and insectivores.
Relying on their camouflaging green color, Praying Mantises are known for patiently waiting for various insects to come into their range before grabbing them,
The Chinese Mantis is considered the largest species of Praying Mantises in the world. It has a 5-inch length and a mostly green body.
Also found in the US in states such as Missouri, this species relies on its green color for predation of various species of insects and spiders.
29. Green Mantidflies
One of the distant relatives of the Praying Mantis is the Green Mantidflies (Zeugomantispa minuta)
The species represents a flying bug that’s mostly green. Much of its appearance reminds me of the Praying Mantis bug. Green Mantidflies also have long transparent wings.
Purple to brown marks is further distinguished right under the transparent wings of the species.
Both its forewings and its hindwings are transparent only showing contrasting black veins.
The species is native to regions of Central America but it has spread to North America as well as to parts of South America.
30. Grasshoppers
Green is also the color of many types of grasshoppers.
True Crickets or Ensifera are among the most common types of mostly green grasshoppers.
Grasshoppers of this species have long green bodies and long green wings which also grow scrapers that are used to make grasshopper-specific noises.
These and other types of green grasshoppers are further known for their capacity to jump. They push their hind legs into the soil to jump considerable distances.
31. Katydids
Katydids are found all around the world. There are thousands of species of katydids and some of them come in all-green coloring.
These bugs are mostly green for camouflage. They can even take the shape of various leaves so that they become easily overlooked by various other species.
False Leaf Katydids represent one of the subspecies that has dark green coloring which also has the shape of a leaf.
Apart from their camouflaging coloring, these types of katydids can make bird-like chirps.