A collective noun is a term used to describe a group of objects, animals, or people, such as a “flock” of birds or a “school” of fish. These specific names often evoke a mental image of the group’s behavior or appearance. For insects and other small arthropods, the collective nouns used are not singular. Terminology varies widely, sometimes reflecting scientific grouping and sometimes reflecting poetic observation of their mass behavior.
Defining the Term “Bug”
In common language, “bug” is a broad, catch-all term for almost any small, six-legged creature, including beetles, ants, and spiders. However, in entomology, “true bugs” belong exclusively to the insect order Hemiptera. This group includes species like cicadas, aphids, stink bugs, and water bugs. True bugs are distinguished by specialized, piercing-sucking mouthparts called a rostrum. This scientific distinction is important because while we colloquially refer to any insects as “bugs,” the collective nouns we use apply to a much wider range of arthropods beyond the Hemiptera order.
General Collective Nouns for Insects
When a large number of insects gather, the most common collective nouns describe their activity or location. The term “swarm” is the most widely applied for groups of flying insects, such as bees, flies, or locusts. A swarm describes a large, dense, and mobile mass of individuals acting in concert, typically during migration or reproduction. For insects that exhibit a complex social structure, like ants and termites, “colony” is used to describe the entire cohesive, organized community. If the term describes the physical dwelling itself, such as for wasps, “nest” is often used. A more dramatic term, “plague,” is reserved for extremely large, destructive gatherings, most famously associated with locusts during their migratory phase.
Notable Collective Noun Examples
Many specific insects have unique, often whimsical, collective nouns that capture a particular aspect of the group. A gathering of bees, for example, can be called a “grist” or a “hive,” though “swarm” is also frequently applied when they are in flight. The term “grist” likely refers to the buzzing sound of their collective movement. Flies have been assigned the collective noun “a business,” which may refer to their constant, busy motion. Another common term for a large group of flies is “a hatch,” used when they emerge simultaneously from their pupal stage. For the small, dense clouds of flying insects that appear at dusk, such as gnats, the terms “a horde” or “a cloud” are used to describe their overwhelming numbers. Some of the most colorful collective nouns are reserved for species like butterflies, where a group is referred to as a “kaleidoscope” or a “rabble.” This reflects the visual effect of their fluttering wings. A group of caterpillars is sometimes called “an army,” referencing their slow, determined movement across the ground as they consume vegetation. Finally, a group of ladybugs is known as “a loveliness,” contrasting with the term “intrusion” for cockroaches.