Weird Bugs You Find in the Garden

 The Good, the Bad, the Ugly and What in the World is That!
🌿 Garden Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | July 23, 2026

Hickory Horned Devil
On the surface, this one might seem a little odd on a gardening blog. But I have to tell ya, I've seen some really weird stuff on the way to just pulling up some weeds…

Take this first guy here. Can you imagine going out to prune a branch, only to find this staring back at you?

I think my jaw would hit the ground! Then I'd have to wonder if I was just transported to another planet. I mean WHAT IS THAT?



Regal Moth
In his case, the look does exactly what nature intended — to scare the bejesus out of you. And believe it or not, that's the extent of what it would do. It's a Hickory Horned Devil caterpillar and not only is it harmless, it turns into one of the largest and most attractive moths you will ever come across — the Regal Moth.

It's just one of those weird ones that makes you back up slowly and reach for the largest and heaviest shovel you can find, just so you can put it out of YOUR misery. 

We see many amazing little creatures in the yard while we're tending the garden, mowing the grass, or just raking up leaves.

Some of them are bad guys that will do you, or your garden harm if they get the chance, but many — even those that look really creepy — are not only good to have around, but are actually completely harmless.

Caterpillars, to me, are some of the most interesting ones you'll come across. I've been fascinated by them since I was a kid. I mean, take that Hickory Horned Devil for instance. While it's designed to scare everything that crosses its path, it truly is incredible to look at.

Another one is the Giant Swallowtail caterpillar. While the butterfly is graceful and elegant, the larvae (which love citrus by the way) look just like bird poop.

Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar & Butterfly

Can you imagine my thoughts the first time I noticed about a dozen of them on my Satsuma? Definitely a "what in the world is that" moment. 

Swallowtails all have interesting larvae. Check out these two from the Spicebush and Eastern Tiger swallowtails: Those eyes are indeed fake — but they serve a very real purpose. They made you do a double-take — they give a predator the same pause.

Spicebush & Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Larvae

Two other really wild — and admittedly very destructive — caterpillars are the Tomato and Tobacco Hornworms. They look very similar and both are the larvae of Sphinx moths.

The easiest ways to tell them apart are the color of the horn (red for tobacco and blue or black for tomato) and the markings — chevrons for the tomato hornworm and straight stripes for the tobacco hornworm. 

Tobacco Hornworm & Sphinx Moth

The funny thing about hornworms is that the caterpillar stage can devastate a tomato plant, but the adult Sphinx moth is one of the most impressive moths you'll ever see — and can be surprisingly difficult to distinguish at times from an actual hummingbird.

A final caterpillar that deserves a solid mention (at least here anyway) is the Saddleback. This is one that crawls around in trees, looks impossible to be real and is wearing a painted-on sweater. 

Saddleback Caterpillar
Warning: It should be given a very wide berth. 

Coming into direct contact with this guy will definitely get your attention. 

They don't have a single stinger like a bee. Instead, their bodies are covered in hundreds of hollow, specialized spines. These spines act like tiny hypodermic needles. The moment they touch, the tips break off, embed themselves into your flesh, and deliver a highly irritating venom.

I'd say the feeling you get could be described as the same you'd get from swallowing a jar of cayenne pepper. This one hurts…


Praying Mantis
Another scary-looking, but very beneficial one you'll most likely come across, is the Praying Mantis. 

This one is right out of an old school horror flick, and rightfully so. If it were scaled to the proper size, it would fit right in alongside those dinosaurs that left us 65 million years ago. 

I always enjoy having them around. They eat a lot of the bugs that, if given the chance, would eat me.

Fun Fact: If you see one staring at you, you can shadow box with it. The mantis will actually punch back! Don't worry — you'd probably win if push came to shove. 😁

Now let's take a look at one of the more interesting spiders you could come across. I could easily do a 10-page write up on just these guys, but I'll stick to the big ones I find myself dodging in the yard. 

Black & Yellow Garden Spider
Let me tell you up front from experience, there is nothing that could prepare you for walking through a web at night when it's totally dark. Especially when that web spans a 10-15 foot distance and feels like the strands are made of sticky steel. If you've done it — you know exactly what I'm talking about.

This is a black and yellow garden spider. Very similar to the golden orb weavers and other so-called "banana spiders" you will literally run into out in the yard. Most of the time I find them attached to the corner of the house and a nearby shrub or tree. 


I've also seen them quite a bit between two shrubs out in the yard. They eat their weight (and then some) in bugs, and I have no issues with them whatsoever — as long as I know where they are, that is. Running through that web while on a mower is almost as bad as doing so at night. Not exactly the same — but close.

Bark Lice (Tree Cattle)
Tree Cattle or Bark Lice are another very beneficial but completely misunderstood group of insects that you will come into contact with. 

These guys form large groups to clean up the bark. They devour algae and lichen, and are completely harmless. They got the nickname "tree cattle" because you can actually control their movement.

Just gently poke them with a stick, and you'll find you can herd them anywhere you want them to go.

There are so many different bugs you can and will come across while working out in the yard. These are just a handful that I picked out because they will definitely make you pause and take a second look. 

Here's a list you can take a look at grouped in the good guy, bad guy, or just plain weird categories. A few like the bees will show up in two because we all know they are good guys until they are bad guys. I love having them around, but I can't deny being chased across the yard a few times after I've accidentally disturbed a nest…

The Good: (beneficial or mostly harmless)
  • Assassin Bugs
  • Bees, wasps & yellow jackets
  • Dragonflies
  • Ladybugs & larvae 
  • Praying mantis 
  • Tree Cattle (Bark Lice)
  • Wheel bugs
The Bad: (can cause problems in the garden)
The Ugly, Strange, or Weird: (the ones that make you stop and say "what am I looking at?")
There are about as many different kinds of bugs as people on the planet — or so it seems. 

I've got a few in the list highlighted with links to some articles I've written specifically for them. If you're interested in finding out more, or you're a gardener dealing with them, it's worth the time to check them out. 

If you enjoy these porch‑talk garden rambles, you can follow the blog over on the left — no pressure, just neighborly company. I’ll even buy the coffee 😉

Until next time, keep your eyes open and Happy Gardening 🌱  

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