Common Names of Insects Database
The ESA Common Names database is an essential reference for anyone who works with insects. It includes more than 2,000 common names and is searchable by common name, scientific name, author, order, family, genus, and species.
Interested individuals may propose new common names (or changes to existing names) by submitting the Common Names Proposal Form that is reviewed by the Committee on the Common Names of Insects and voted on by the ESA Governing Board. Detailed information on the submission and approval process is available through the links in the sidebar to the left. Our understanding of taxonomy evolves over time, and although the Committee on the Common Names of Insects does work to update the taxonomic information included in the ESA Common Names database, sometimes the committee is not aware of recent changes. If you see outdated taxonomic information in the ESA Common Names list, you can help by notifying the committee at pubs@entsoc.org.
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Common Name | Scientific Name | Order | Family | Author | Genus | Species | Notes | Date Taxonomy Last Checked |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American bumble bee | Bombus pensylvanicus (De Geer) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (De Geer) | Bombus | pensylvanicus | ||
Ashton cuckoo bumble bee | Bombus ashtoni (Cresson) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Cresson) | Bombus | ashtoni | ||
black and gold bumble bee | Bombus auricomus (Robertson) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Robertson) | Bombus | auricomus | ||
brownbelted bumble bee | Bombus griseocollis (De Geer) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (De Geer) | Bombus | griseocollis | ||
bumble flower beetle | Euphoria inda (Linnaeus) | COLEOPTERA | Scarabaeidae | (Linnaeus) | Euphoria | inda | ||
common eastern bumble bee | Bombus impatiens (Cresson) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Cresson) | Bombus | impatiens | ||
confusing bumble bee | Bombus perplexus (Cresson) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Cresson) | Bombus | perplexus | ||
Fernald cuckoo bumble bee | Bombus fernaldae (Franklin) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Franklin) | Bombus | fernaldae | ||
half-black bumble bee | Bombus vagans (Smith) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Smith) | Bombus | vagans | ||
indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee | Bombus insularis (Smith) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Smith) | Bombus | insularis | ||
lemon cuckoo bumble bee | Bombus citrinus (Smith) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Smith) | Bombus | citrinus | ||
northern amber bumble bee | Bombus borealis (Kirby) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Kirby) | Bombus | borealis | ||
redbelted bumble bee | Bombus rufocinctus (Cresson) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Cresson) | Bombus | rufocinctus | ||
rusty patched bumble bee | Bombus affinis (Cresson) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Cresson) | Bombus | affinis | ||
Sanderson bumble bee | Bombus sandersoni (Franklin) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Franklin) | Bombus | sandersoni | ||
southern plains bumble bee | Bombus fraternus (Smith) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Smith) | Bombus | fraternus | ||
tricolored bumble bee | Bombus ternarius (Say) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Say) | Bombus | ternarius | ||
twospotted bumble bee | Bombus bimaculatus (Cresson) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Cresson) | Bombus | bimaculatus | ||
variable cuckoo bumble bee | Bombus variabilis (Cresson) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Cresson) | Bombus | variabilis | ||
yellow bumble bee | Bombus fervidus (Fabricius) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Fabricius) | Bombus | fervidus | ||
yellowbanded bumble bee | Bombus terricola (Kirby) | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | (Kirby) | Bombus | terricola | ||
white-shouldered bumble bee | Bombus appositus Cresson | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | Cresson | Bombus | appositus | ||
high country bumble bee | Bombus balteatus Dahlbom | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | Dahlbom | Bombus | balteatus | ||
California bumble bee | Bombus californicus Smith | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | Smith | Bombus | californicus | ||
yellow head bumble bee | Bombus flavifrons Cresson | HYMENOPTERA | Apidae | Cresson | Bombus | flavifrons |