Top 20 Most Common Insects in Istanbul
Insects, the tiny powerhouses of Istanbul ecosystem, showcase diversity as vast as the regional landscapes themselves. From the bustling cities to the scenic countryside, geographical differences within Istanbul highly influence insect species distribution. Their role? Vital. Comprising both friend and foe—pollinators and pests alike—they help maintain the balance. Our Top 20 most common insects uncovers this correlation shaping Istanbul's biodiversity.
Most Common Insects
1. Asian Tiger Mosquito
The asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has recently (the 1970s) infested every corner of the world through the shipment of used tired, lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana), and other similar products. The asian Tiger Mosquito is known to transmit many deadly diseases that include West Nile Virus.
2. White-legged damselfly
The white-legged damselfly or blue featherleg (Platycnemis pennipes) is a damselfly of slow-flowing, muddy waters. It occurs from the Atlantic to Siberia and is often abundant throughout its range. 
3. Western honey bee
Western honey bee（Apis mellifera） is the most common species of honeybee in the world. Among the first domesticated insects, its cultural and economic impact on humanity has been vast and far-reaching, providing honey, wax and its services as a pollinator. Western honey bee faces challenges worldwide, such as colony collapse disorder, and populations are thought to be decreasing.
4. Painted lady
The painted lady is a migratory butterfly that spends part of the year in Northern Africa and then migrates to Europe during the warmer months. Although the adults feed on nectar from flowers, the larvae feed on the leaves of nettles and thistles.
5. Blue-tailed damselfly
Ischnura elegans can reach a body length of 2.5 - 3.5 cm and a wingspan of about 3.5 cm. Hindwings reach alength of 1.4 - 2 cm. Adult male blue-tailed damselflies have a head and thorax patterned with blue and black. There is a bi-coloured pterostigma on the front wings. Eyes are blue. They have a largely black abdomen with very narrow pale markings where each segment joins the next. Segment eight, however, is entirely pale blue. At rest, the wings of most damselfly species are held back together, unlike dragonflies, which rest with their wings out flat. The thorax of juvenile males has a green tinge. Female blue-tailed Damselflies come in a variety of colour forms.Juveniles may be salmon pink, form rufescens; violet, form violacea and a pale green form. The colour darkens as the damselfly ages. Mature females may be blue like the male, form typica; olive green thorax and brown spot, form infuscans or pale brown thorax and brown spot, form infusca-obseleta.
6. Red admiral
Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a visually striking species of butterfly. Unusually territorial, males will compete for choice areas, and females will only mate with males that maintain their own territories. This butterfly is known for being particularly patient with human interactions, even to the point of perching on clothing or flesh.
7. Scarce swallowtail
Its slow and floating flight pattern makes it easy to identify the scarce swallowtail as it soars over gardens, orchards, and scrublands. The butterfly has a large presence across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The adult lifespan is brief, only two or three weeks. Planting flowers like blackthorn can encourage the butterfly to visit a garden.
8. Brown marmorated stink bug
As evidenced by its name, brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is most recognizable for its ability to exude a nasty, foul-smelling odor if disturbed. Capable of subsisting on over one hundred species of plant, it has become an enormous pest for many farmers in the U.S., costing over $30 million annually in apple crop losses alone. It often invades homes in autumn, as soon as the weather begins to chill.
9. European firebug
Named for its striking pattern, european firebug is often described as the "firebug." It is known to congregate in large aggregations reaching as many as one hundred individuals at a time, particularly while still immature. Because they feed upon the seeds of lime trees, clusters of mating individuals can often be found at the bases of these trees in late spring.
10. Small copper
The upperside forewings are a bright orange with a dark outside edge border and with eight or nine black spots. The hindwings are dark with an orange border. Some females also have a row of blue spots inside the orange border and are known as form caeruleopunctata. The undersides are patterned in a similar way but are paler. The black spots on the forewings are outlined in yellow and the dark colouring is replaced by a pale brownish grey. The hindwings are the same brown/grey colour with small black dots and a narrow orange border. The caterpillars (larvae) are usually green, but some have a purple stripe down the middle of the back and along each side.
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