Study List of Common Insects in Texas |
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| Common Name | Order | Host or Location | Significance | |
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Silverfish | Thysanura | Trunk, closet | Pest |
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Mayflies | Ephemeroptera | Near water | Inconsequential |
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Black-winged damselfly | Odonata | Stream | Beneficial |
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Green darner | Odonata | Stream | Beneficial |
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Stoneflies | Plecoptera | Near water | Inconsequential |
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Banded-winged grasshoppers | Orthoptera | Pasture | Pest |
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Differential grasshopper | Orthoptera | Pasture | Pest |
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Long-horned grasshoppers | Orthoptera | Shrubs/grass | Pest |
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Field cricket | Orthoptera | Buildings | Pest |
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Mole crickets | Orthoptera | Sandy soil | Pest |
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True katydid | Orthoptera | Trees | Pest |
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American cockroach | Blattodea | House | Pest |
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German cockroach | Blattodea | House | Pest |
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Oriental cockroach | Blattodea | House | Pest |
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Praying mantids | Mantodea | Shrubs, vegetation | Beneficial |
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Walkingsticks | Phasmatodea | Shrubs, vegetation | Pest |
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Earwigs | Dermaptera | Ground trash | Pest |
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Termites | Isoptera | Wood, stumps | Pest |
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Barklice | Psocoptera | Tree trunk | Pest |
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Chicken head louse | Phthiraptera (Mallophaga) | Poultry | Pest |
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Head louse | Phthiraptera (Anoplura) | Humans | Pest |
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Hog louse | Phthiraptera (Anoplura) | Swine | Pest |
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Short-nosed cattle louse | Phthiraptera (Anoplura) | Cattle | Pest |
| Ambush bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Flowers | Beneficial | |
| Assassin bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Field crops | Beneficial | |
|
Backswimmer | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Pond | Beneficial |
| Bed bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Humans | Pest | |
| Big-eyed bugs | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Field crops | Beneficial | |
| Boxelder bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Boxelder trees | Pest | |
| Burrower bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Grasses, peanuts | Pest | |
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Chinch bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Grass | Pest |
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Cotton fleahopper | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Cotton | Pest |
| False chinch bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Sorghum | Pest | |
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Giant water bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Water, ponds | Pest |
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Green stink bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Weeds | Pest |
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Harlequin bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Cole crops | Pest |
| Large milkweed bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Milkweed | Beneficial | |
| Leaffooted bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Plants, weeds | Pest | |
| Minute pirate bugs | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Insects | Beneficial | |
|
Squash bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Squash | Pest |
| Tarnished plant bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Plants, weeds | Pest | |
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Toad bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Shoreline | Beneficial |
| Water boatman | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Pond | Beneficial | |
| Water scorpions | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Stream | Beneficial | |
| Water striders | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Pond | Beneficial | |
| Wheel bug | Hemiptera (Heteroptera) | Vegetation | Beneficial | |
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Cicadas | Hemiptera (Auchenorrhyncha) | Trees | Pest |
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Leafhoppers | Hemiptera (Auchenorrhyncha) | Grasses | Pest |
| Planthoppers | Hemiptera (Auchenorrhyncha) | Various plants | Pest | |
| Spittlebugs | Hemiptera (Auchenorrhyncha) | Alfalfa | Pest | |
| Treehoppers | Hemiptera (Auchenorrhyncha) | Trees | Pest | |
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Aphids | Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha) | Corn, sorghum | Pest |
| Greenbug | Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha) | Small grains | Pest | |
| Pecan phylloxera | Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha) | Pecans | Pest | |
| Psyllids | Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha) | Potato | Pest | |
| Scales, armored | Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha) | Trees, shrubs | Pest | |
| Scales, soft | Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha) | Ornamental trees | Pest | |
| Whiteflies | Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha) | Vegetables, cotton | Pest | |
| Thrips | Thysanoptera | Flowers | Variable | |
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Dobsonflies | Megaloptera | Stream | Beneficial |
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Antlions | Neuroptera | Plants | Beneficial |
| Brown lacewings | Neuroptera | Insects | Beneficial | |
| Green lacewings | Neuroptera | Insects | Beneficial | |
| Mantispids (Mantidflies) | Neuroptera | Woodlots | Beneficial | |
| Owlflies | Neuroptera | At lights | Beneficial | |
| Alfalfa weevil | Coleoptera | Alfalfa | Pest | |
|
Blister beetles | Coleoptera | Plants, alfalfa, weeds | Pest |
| Boll weevil | Coleoptera | Cotton | Pest | |
| Carpet beetles | Coleoptera | Wool carpets | Pest | |
| Carrion beetles | Coleoptera | Dead animals | Beneficial | |
|
Caterpillar hunter | Coleoptera | Woodland | Beneficial |
| Click beetles | Coleoptera | Corn, field crops | Pest | |
| Colorado potato beetle | Coleoptera | Potatoes | Pest | |
| Confused flour beetle | Coleoptera | Stored grain | Pest | |
|
Cottonwood borer | Coleoptera | Cottonwood trees | Pest |
| Elm leaf beetle | Coleoptera | Elm trees | Pest | |
|
Coleoptera | Weeds | Inconsequential | |
| Flat-headed borer (Metallic wood borer) | Coleoptera | Trees | Pest | |
| Flea beetles | Coleoptera | Weeds | Pest | |
| Japanese beetle | Coleoptera | Crops | Pest | |
|
Lady beetles | Coleoptera | Weeds | Beneficial |
| Lesser grain borer | Coleoptera | Stored grain | Pest | |
| Locust borer | Coleoptera | Black locust | Pest | |
| Maize weevil (rice weevil) | Coleoptera | Stored grain | Pest | |
|
May beetles (June beetles or Junebugs) | Coleoptera | Shrubs | Pest |
| Mealworm | Coleoptera | Stored grain | Pest | |
| Plum curculio | Coleoptera | Peaches | Pest | |
| Predaceous diving beetles | Coleoptera | Ponds | Beneficial | |
| Rove beetles | Coleoptera | At lights | Inconsequential | |
| Sawtoothed grain beetle | Coleoptera | Stored grain | Pest | |
| Soldier beetles | Coleoptera | Flowers | Inconsequential | |
|
Spotted cucumber beetle | Coleoptera | Weeds | Pest |
| Sweet potato weevil | Coleoptera | Sweet potatoes | Pest | |
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Tiger beetles | Coleoptera | Shady trails | Beneficial |
| Tumbling flower beetles | Coleoptera | On flowers | Inconsequential | |
| Water scavenger beetles | Coleoptera | Stream | Inconsequential | |
| Whirlygig beetles | Coleoptera | Stream | Inconsequential | |
| Scorpionflies | Mecoptera | Plants | Inconsequential | |
| Fleas | Siphonaptera | Cat, dog | Pest | |
| Bee flies | Diptera | Flowers | Beneficial | |
| Black flies | Diptera | Stream | Pest | |
| Blow flies | Diptera | Carrion | Variable | |
| Common cattle grub | Diptera | Cattle | Pest | |
|
Crane flies | Diptera | Meadow | Inconsequential |
| Deer fly | Diptera | Woodlands | Pest | |
| Flesh flies | Diptera | Carrion | Pest | |
| Horn fly | Diptera | Cattle | Pest | |
|
Horse fly | Diptera | Woodlands | Pest |
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House fly | Diptera | Barn | Pest |
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Mosquitoes | Diptera | Yard and meadow | Pest |
| Robber flies | Diptera | Woodlands | Beneficial | |
| Sheep keds | Diptera | Sheep | Pest | |
| Sorghum midge | Diptera | Sorghum | Pest | |
| Stable fly | Diptera | Cattle | Pest | |
| Syrphid fly (flower fly) | Diptera | Flowers | Beneficial | |
| Caddisflies | Trichoptera | Near stream | Inconsequential | |
| Alfalfa caterpillar (clouded sulfur) | Lepidoptera | Alfalfa | Pest | |
| Armyworm | Lepidoptera | Grasses | Pest | |
| Bagworm | Lepidoptera | Juniper | Pest | |
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Black swallowtail | Lepidoptera | Carrots, weeds | Pest |
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Bollworm or corn earworm | Lepidoptera | Cotton, corn, others | Pest |
| Buckeye | Lepidoptera | Plantain | Inconsequential | |
| Cabbage butterflies | Lepidoptera | Cole crops | Pest | |
| Cabbage looper | Lepidoptera | General feeder | Pest | |
| Cecropia | Lepidoptera | Oak | Pest | |
| Cutworms | Lepidoptera | General feeder | Pest | |
| Fall armyworm | Lepidoptera | Grasses | Pest | |
|
Fall webworm | Lepidoptera | Pecans | Pest |
| Forest tent caterpillar | Lepidoptera | Broad-leaved trees | Pest | |
| Giant swallowtail | Lepidoptera | Citrus | Pest | |
|
Gray hairstreak (Cotton square borer) | Lepidoptera | Cotton | Pest |
| Great leopard moth | Lepidoptera | Weeds | Inconsequential | |
| Greater wax moth | Lepidoptera | Beehive | Pest | |
| Indianmeal moth | Lepidoptera | Stored grain | Pest | |
| Io moth | Lepidoptera | Trees, corn | Pest | |
|
Luna moth | Lepidoptera | Oak | Pest |
| Monarch | Lepidoptera | Milkweed | Pest | |
| Mourningcloak butterfly | Lepidoptera | Willow | Inconsequential | |
| Peach tree borer | Lepidoptera | Peach trees | Pest | |
| Pecan nut casebearer | Lepidoptera | Pecans | Pest | |
| Pink bollworm | Lepidoptera | Cotton | Pest | |
|
Polyphemus | Lepidoptera | Oaks | Pest |
| Question mark | Lepidoptera | Elms | Pest | |
|
Red admiral | Lepidoptera | Nettles | Inconsequential |
| Saltmarsh caterpillar | Lepidoptera | Grasses, weeds | Pest | |
| Silver‑spotted skipper | Lepidoptera | Black locust | Inconsequential | |
| Sorghum webworm | Lepidoptera | Sorghum | Pest | |
| Southwestern corn borer | Lepidoptera | Grain crops | Pest | |
| Tiger swallowtail | Lepidoptera | Cherry | Pest | |
| Tomato hornworm | Lepidoptera | Tomatoes | Pest | |
|
Underwing moths | Lepidoptera | Trees | Inconsequential |
| Viceroy | Lepidoptera | Poplar | Inconsequential | |
|
Wood nymph | Lepidoptera | Thick woods | Inconsequential |
| Baldfaced hornet | Hymenoptera | Woodlands | Pest | |
|
Bumblebees | Hymenoptera | Meadow | Beneficial |
| Carpenter bees | Hymenoptera | Fence posts | Pest | |
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Cicada killer | Hymenoptera | Soil | Beneficial |
|
Honeybee | Hymenoptera | Flowers | Beneficial |
| Horntails | Hymenoptera | Logs | Pest | |
| Ichneumon wasps | Hymenoptera | Flowers | Beneficial | |
| Leafcutting bees | Hymenoptera | Flowers | Pest | |
|
Mud daubers | Hymenoptera | Buildings | Beneficial |
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Red harvester ant | Hymenoptera | Pastures | Pest |
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Red imported fire ant | Hymenoptera | Pastures, lawns | Pest |
| Sawflies | Hymenoptera | Pest | ||
| Tarantula hawk | Hymenoptera | Woodlands | Beneficial | |
| Texas leafcutting ant | Hymenoptera | Woodlands | Pest | |
|
Velvet ants | Hymenoptera | Soil | Pest |
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Yellowjackets | Hymenoptera | House eaves | Pest |
| Brown dog tick | Acarina | Dog | Pest | |
| Fowl tick (blue bug) | Acarina | Poultry | Pest | |
|
Lone star tick | Acarina | Cattle | Pest |
| Spider mites | Acarina | Plants | Pest | |
| Crab spiders | Araneae | Flowers | Beneficial | |
| Jumping spiders | Araneae | Garden | Beneficial | |
| Recluse spiders | Araneae | Board piles | Pest | |
| Tarantulas | Araneae | Soil | Beneficial | |
|
Widow spiders | Araneae | Woodlots | Pest |
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Wolf spiders | Araneae | Under rocks | Beneficial |
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Yellow garden spider | Araneae | Garden | Beneficial |
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Scorpions | Scorpiones | Log piles | Pest |
| Sun spiders (Wind scorpions) | Solifugae | Arid regions | Inconsequential | |
| Vinegaroons | Thelyphonida | Arid regions | Pest | |
| Centipedes | Class Chilopoda | Pest | ||
| Millipedes | Class Diplopoda | Leaf litter | Pest | |
| Springtails | Collembola | Surface of puddles | Variable | |
| Sowbugs and pillbugs | Isopoda | Compost | Pest | |