10 Beautiful Insects You Can Keep As Pets 

For most people, when insects come to mind, they often picture nasty, grotesque, and unwelcome invaders to the home.

However, numerous species of insects are both beautiful and remarkable and can be excellent choices for a pet. 

An innumerable selection of insects can be taken home as pets; however, some of the most beautiful species include Christmas beetles, peacock spiders, pink katydids, and jewel flutterer dragonflies.

Each of these insects is beautiful and can be an excellent pet for the home.

• Many species of insects can be surprisingly beautiful pets.
• There are numerous kinds of fascinating insects that are easy to care for.
• Having an insect as a pet can bring a sense of pride and ownership.
• Choosing an insect such as the Jewel caterpillar can bring beauty to your home.
• When looking for an insect as a pet, you should ensure you have the correct habitat and understand its needs.

Keeping Insects As Pets In Your Home

Insects are the most abundant form of life on earth, and around 75% of all animals that have been cataloged and described by scientists are insects. For the most part, some people may find this a revolting task when it comes to keeping insects as pets. 

However, others who are aware of the diversity that exists in the insect world know that there are beautiful insects that have complex and exciting behaviors and make some of the best pets. 

Having an insect as a pet will exclude cuddles that you may receive from your dog, but they can bring a sense of pride to those who are willing to go beyond the norm. You can even feel satisfaction and peace when you engage with them. 

Ten Of The Most Beautiful Insects You Can Keep As A Pet

When choosing an insect as a pet, we are spoiled for choice, considering there are thousands of species to choose from. However, for some, the idea of an insect as a pet is off-putting as they tend to think they are disgusting. 

Luckily for us, not all insects bring about that feeling; in fact, numerous species of insects are beautiful to admire and come with bodies and wings full of vibrant colors. A list of ten of the most beautiful insects will be listed below: 

Christmas Beetle 

The Christmas beetle has an exotic shell that glistens when light passes over it. It typically comes in colors of red, green, and even gold that remind one of Christmas, and they appear around that time of the year, hence the name. 

They are native to South Africa and Australia, and due to thriving in these particular parts of the world, they thrive in sunny environments. There are around 30 species of this specific beetle alone; each is as beautiful as the one before. 

When keeping beetles as pets, you’ll want to ensure that you have a tank with a plethora of humid soil around two inches dew, accompanied by a few pieces of wood or bark. Be sure to feed them a diet of plant roots, eucalyptus leaves, and decaying organic matter.

Blue Morpho Butterfly

The Blue Morpho butterfly is one of the most beautiful insects on this list, having a radiant and electric shade of blue that leaves one in a state of awe.

As a young caterpillar, you’d never imagine this yellow and brown insect would turn into such a work of art. 

These butterflies are scarce and native to South and Central American rainforests and the mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. They are one of the largest species of butterflies and play an essential part in the diversity of their areas. 

When keeping the Blue Morpho butterfly as a pet, you’ll want to ensure that you have sufficient sized space as they need and want to fly. An enclosure made of mesh or mosquito netting is ideal, and this can be used within a room or a greenhouse. 

As the Blue Morpho is a frugivore, you will want to feed them a diet of decaying fruits to ensure they obtain all the nutrients they need. They may also feed on the sap of a tree as a treat if you can source it in your region. 

Peacock Spider

A peacock spider is a particular species of spider that is known for its jumping, which is described as a little dance.

This occurs when it’s time to mate, much like a ‘peacocking,’ hence the name. They have backs that give off vibrant shades of orange and blue-red, often with beautiful designs. 

They can be as small as a grain of rice when they are born and typically don’t grow to be overly large spiders, giving the impression that they are cute little pets.

They are mildly poisonous but not enough to harm humans and can jump as high as forty times the size of their bodies. 

Unlike most spiders, peacocks do not build webs, and thus their diet slightly varies from other spiders. To ensure it obtains adequate nutrition, you can feed it almost any kind of incest as they are not fussy, but they enjoy a hunt, so leave it within the tank and let it do the rest.

Flower Mantis

The flower mantis is a beautiful piece of art created by mother nature herself. This small flower mantis species is native to Africa and typically comes in various colors, such as green, pink, yellow, and red. 

Its forewings have a fascinating, almost psychedelic design that looks like it forms two eyes. These fascinating members of the Mantis species typically live up to six months. However, some can live up to a year in the right conditions. 

When keeping a Flower mantis as a pet, they should each be housed individually and can typically live comfortably in small tanks. If it is too large, they will have difficulty looking for their prey during feeding time. 

Your Flower mantis will require live food and will not eat dead flies and insects. They can have a balanced diet of various insects such as crickets, ladybugs, and fruitless and can even enjoy a little honey from time to time. 

Cotton Harlequin Bug

The Cotton Harlequin is a member of the Jewel bug family and takes its name from its fascinating and vibrant metallic-colored body. They come in various colors, including orange, red, and sometimes blue. 

These bugs are native to Australia, can be seen across parks and wooded areas during the summer months, and thrive in warmer temperatures.

They can be a minor pest to cotton and have been known to cause a fungus that will rot the plant if left untreated. 

These tiny insects can be kept as pets, and you may choose to keep numerous bugs in a single tank at one time.

They are beautiful to look at and require little to no upkeep besides a steady diet of sugar-rich liquids and, in some cases, hibiscus shoots. 

Pink Katydid 

Pink katydids are one of the rarest insects on this list, as typically, a katydid will be born with a green-colored body.

Still, every so often, a genetic condition will create a beautiful rose and pink-colored katydid that is delightful to look at. 

These pink Katydids can be found across the Americas, from Costa Rica in the south to the United States in the north, and have recently become more common.

Recent breeding experiments conducted in the U.S. have suggested that bright pink could be the dominant genetic color of these fascinating insects. 

When keeping a Pink katydid as a pet, you’ll want to ensure that your cage or enclosure is large and well-ventilated.

Line the bottom of the enclosure with pebbles, dirt, and a little tissue paper, and include a 25-watt light bulb to ensure it gets sufficient warmth. 

Katydids enjoy a diet full of leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, and small insects. If you’re unsure what to feed it, you can compromise with a diet of two leaves of various trees, including bramble, oak, hazel, or butterfly bush. 

Jewel Flutterer Dragonfly 

The Jewel Flutterer dragonfly is a beautiful work of nature, with a body that is a metallic blue color that reflects in the sun; it is truly a sight to behold.

This particular dragonfly is one of five species in the genus, Rhyothemis, all of which are known as flutterers due to their flight style. 

This fascinating dragonfly is relatively small, only having a wingspan of a mere 40-60mm and a body of 25mm. They are typically found in the Western Pacific, Africa, and Australia and thrive in warmer climates. 

When keeping dragonflies as pets, you’ll want to buy a tank that can hold approximately ten gallons and fill it halfway with water. Add study objects that the nymphs can climb onto once they become fully grown adults. 

When feeding the dragonflies, you’ll want to give them a balanced diet of live insects such as midges, mosquitoes, moths, butterflies, and small insects.

They can eat their weight in prey each day, so ensure you supply them with a sufficient amount of food. 

Jewel Caterpillar

When you first see the jewel caterpillar, you may mistake it for a sizeable gummy candy due to the nature of its body and shape. These fascinating insects have shiny yet translucent bodies and shine in the sun like a diamond. 

This particular species belongs to a family of moths known as Dalceridae, whose larvae are slug caterpillars.

They are not poisonous like other caterpillars, yet, they are well protected from insects such as ants thanks to their sticky body. Humans should also deter from touching their bodies. 

If choosing to keep this insect as a pet, you’ll want to ensure that you set up an enclosure with the correct environmental setting to make sure that it can evolve into a moth. When moving or touching this insect, use a stick or wooden utensil. 

Glasswinged Butterfly

The Glasswinnged butterfly takes its name from its fascinating and beautiful, transparent wings. This is a rare feature among the large family of butterfly species. These popular butterflies appear in Chile, Mexico, and even Texas and can be found in humid forests. 

The borders of their wings are typically made up of vibrant red and orange colors with a brown base. They have wingspans of around 6cm, making them relatively small insects and often hard to find and catch. 

If you decide you wish to keep this beautiful insect as a pet, you’ll want to ensure that the enclosure has plenty of space and is surrounded by netting like a mosquito net. 

An outdoor greenhouse is typically the best option. They feed on aromatic flowers like the lantana, which can be purchased or grown. 

Fireflies

Fireflies may not be the most beautiful pet on this list during the day. However, when the nighttime comes along, they are light shows full of vibrant colors. These insects can be fascinating creatures to keep as a pet.

When keeping a firefly as a pet, ensure to make numerous holes into the top of the container or jar, as this will provide sufficient air.

While they can be kept as pets for a little while, especially as a project for kids, it’s still best to release them after a few days to a week.

When it comes to feeding the fireflies, you’ll want to mix some warm water that contains a high amount of fine sugar. Fireflies feed primarily on the nectar of plants; thus, sugar water is the best alternative. 

Conclusion

So, if you have been interested in finding a beautiful insect to keep as a pet, but didn’t know where to look, now you have ten great options.

Just remember to research what requirements are necessary for each of these fascinating and beautiful creatures. 

Alright, that’s it for this article, here are a few hand-selected articles that you might also find interesting reads:

What Insects are the Most Expensive to Keep as Pets?

What Insects are the Cheapest to Keep as Pets?

15 Long Lived Insects That Make Great Pets