


Top 20 Most Common Insects in Philippines
Insects, the small yet vital organisms of our planet, thrive in varied habitats due to their remarkable adaptability. In Philippines, this vast insect diversity stems from its unique geographic locations, climates, and ecosystems, ranging from low-lying coastal areas to high-altitude mountains. The abundance and diversity of insects can tell us much about the Philippines's environmental health, revealing the dynamic interplay between pests and beneficial species. Stay tuned as we delve into the 20 most common insects in Philippines.

Most Common Insects

1. Indonesian red-winged dragonfly
Neurothemis terminata is a species of dragonfly in family Libellulidae. Neurothemis terminata is a widespread and often common species which can occur in man-made habitats, from Peninsular Malaysia and Japan to the Lesser Sundas in Indonesia. Male N. terminata have red colour on its body and wings, while the female have yellowish colour. The adult has 8-11 cm body length.


2. Chalky percher
Diplacodes trivialis is small dragonfly with bluish eyes and greenish-yellow or olivaceous thorax and abdomen with black marks. In very old adults, the whole thorax and abdomen become uniform pruinosed blue. Clear wings, without apical or basal markings, and the creamy white anal appendages and deep pruinescence in adults help to distinguish this species from others in its genus.


3. Green skimmer
Orthetrum serapia is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 60-85mm. Its wings are clear except for a small dark spot at the base of the hindwing. The thorax is greenish to greyish yellow with black markings. The abdomen is black with pale yellow or pale green markings. Orthetrum serapia appears very similar to Orthetrum sabina and can be confused where the range of the two overlap in north-eastern Australia.


4. Neurothemis ramburii

5. Chocolate argus
Junonia hedonia is a butterfly from the Nymphalidae family. The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1764 by Carl Linnaeus.

6. Common mormon
The common mormon (Papilio polytes) is a beautiful, black butterfly with unique hindwings that have orange and white colorings and two spots jutting out. They are named after the Mormon religion, as the butterflies participate in polygamy, which is a common practice for Mormons. They are also known to mimic red-bodied swallowtail, who are inedible.

7. Blue moon butterfly
Hypolimnas bolina, the great eggfly, common eggfly or in New Zealand the blue moon butterfly is a species of nymphalid butterfly found from Madagascar to Asia and Australia.


8. Weaver ant
The weaver ant can be found in silk-woven nests in the foliage of Southeast Asia and Oceania. These ants have a painful bite and prey on other small insects. Larvae have many uses for local regions, including being a popular fishing bait and a good choice of bird food.

9. Red sprite

10. Scarlet mormon swallowtail
Papilio rumanzovia, the scarlet Mormon or red Mormon, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in the Philippines but has been recorded as a vagrant to southern Taiwan. The species was named by Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz after Nicholas Rumanzow, chancellor of the Russian Empire. It has traditionally been regarded as a species of its own rather than a subspecies of Papilio deiphobus, but the former treatment is still preferred by some. The wingspan is 120–140 mm. The male resembles the male Papilio ascalaphus, but lacks the tail at the bottom wing and has large red patches on the ventral side (underside) of the wings. In contrast, the female has distinct red markings on both sides of the wings. The larvae feed on Citrus species.

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