Bugs Count

Look for bugs and help with scientific research. Includes bug ID guide.

Have you seen a Green Shieldbug, Tree Bumblebee or Leopard Slug in your garden? Go on the hunt for these and other bugs, then use the app to submit a photo to Natural History Museum scientists. You’ll help contribute to valuable research.

The OPAL Bugs Count app also includes a guide to common groups of invertebrates (bugs) found in the UK, including butterflies, beetles and hoverflies. You’ll discover interesting facts, identification tips and stunning photos of bugs from London’s Natural History Museum.

Features

• Quest - Help scientists at the Natural History Museum by finding, then taking and sending photos of the six important Species Quest bugs

• Guide - Find out about the bugs you see, and discover interesting facts and ID tips. What exactly is the difference between a grasshopper and a cricket?

• Gallery - Explore stunning images of UK bugs photographed by the Natural History Museum.

The app can be used on its own or as part of the OPAL Bugs Count survey.

Opal Bugs Count is a nationwide survey investigating how the built environment affects invertebrates. By taking part, you will discover more about the enormous variety of bugs that live around us.

An incredible 96% of all known animals are bugs... without them the world would be a very different place.

OPAL, The Open Air Laboratories network, is a lottery-funded initiative to get more people interested in nature. The Natural History Museum is an OPAL partner.