# List of insect-inspired songs

This is a list of songs inspired by insects.
Insects in music are known from everything from classical music and opera to ragtime and pop.
Rimsky-Korsakov imitates the quick buzzing vibrato of the bumblebee in his famous "The Flight of the Bumblebee". Popular songs with an insect theme include "glow-worm", "Poor Butterfly", "La Cucaracha", "The Boll Weevil", and "The Blue-Tailed Fly". Operas like Puccini's Madam Butterfly and Rousel's Le Festin de L’Araignée similarly reference arthropods.
Pop groups named after insects include Buddy Holly and the Crickets, The Beatles, Adam and the Ants and many others. Songs named after or inspired by the sounds of insects are listed below.

## List

Insect-inspired songs :
| Name of song | Insect order | Composer | Performing artist | Date | Type of music | Notes |
| BUGZ! | Insects-general | Mina Bloom & Mark Generous | Mina Bloom & Doctor Generous | 2023 | Electronic music | A pro-bug song about how important they are to humans |
| Six-Limbed Drummer | Hemiptera | David de la Haye | Adam Stapleford | 2022 | Free Jazz /Improv | Drummer improvising with the sound of aquatic insects. On the album 'With Ears Underwater' (NEWJAiM) |
| The Boatmen of Garten | Hemiptera | David de la Haye | David de la Haye Mhairi Hall | 2021 | Folk / Environmental Art | Features the Water Boatman, family Corixidae |
| Insect | Insects-general | Bladee | Bladee | 2017 | Cloud Rap | |
| I'm a Bug | Insects-general | | Urinals | 1978 | | |
| Crickets Sing for Anamaria | Orthoptera | Marcos Valle | Marcos Valle | 1968 | Bossa nova | Vocal version of Marcos Valle's instrumental tune "Os Grilos" that appeared on his 1967 album Brazilliance! |
| Honey Bee (Let Me Be Your Honey Bee) | Hymenoptera | Ollie Shepard | Ollie Shepard And His Kentucky Boys | 1938 | Blues / Honky-tonk | Released on Decca Records |
| The Attack of the Giant Ants | Hymenoptera | Chris Stein | Blondie | 1976 | Punk / New Wave / Rock | |
| I Got Ants in My Pants | Hymenoptera | James Brown | James Brown | 1972 | Funk | |
| Ants Marching | Hymenoptera | Dave Matthews | The Dave Matthews Band | 1994 | Pop / Rock | |
| Spiral of Ants | Hymenoptera | Neil Cicierega | Lemon Demon | 2016 | Electronic Rock | On the album Spirit Phone. Based on the phenomenon of ant mills. |
| Insects | Insects-general | Danny Elfman | Oingo Boingo | 1982 | Ska, New Wave, Synth Pop | |
| Ladybug | Coleoptera | SXZU | Bars Johnson | 2021 | Indie rock |
| Bee in the Bottle | Hymenoptera | Sinead Lohan | Sinead Lohan | 1995 | Folk rock | |
| Dance of the Honeybees | Hymenoptera | Charlie Lennon | De Dannan Frankie Gavin Sharon Shannon Altan | 1986 | Irish folk | Said to be based on the honeybee's waggle dance. |
| Mosquito | Diptera | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | 2013 | Indie rock | |
| The Mosquito | Diptera | John Densmore / Robby Krieger / Ray Manzarek | The Doors | 1972 | Rock | |
| Flight of the Bumblebee | Hymenoptera | Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov | many artists | 1899-1900 | Classical | |
| One Note Samba/Spanish Flea | Siphonaptera | Antônio Carlos Jobim | Sergio Mendes-Brasil '66 | 1966 | Bossa nova | |
| 100,000 Fireflies | Coleoptera | Stephin Merritt | The Magnetic Fields | 1993 | Electronica | |
| Fireflies | Coleoptera | Adam Young | Owl City | 2009 | Electronica | |
| Hotaru Koi (Come Fireflies) | Coleoptera | (Traditional Japanese folk song) | (Traditional Japanese folk song) | Unknown | Folk | |
| Lady Bug | Coleoptera | Randy Rogers / Wade Bowen | Randy Rogers | 2015 | Country | |
| Mariposa traicionera | Lepidoptera | Fher Olvera | Mana | 2003 | Rock | |
| Butterfly | Lepidoptera | John Frusciante B/ret Mazur, M / chael "Flea" Balzary / Seth "Shifty Shellshock" Binzer | Crazy Town | 2000 | Rap rock | |
| Caterpillar | Lepidoptera | Peter Albin | Big Brother and the Holding Company | 1967 | Rock | This album was the studio debut for the band's lead singer, Janis Joplin. |
| The Caterpillar | Lepidoptera | | The Cure | 1984 | Post-punk | |
| Grasshopper | Orthoptera | | Soul Delavants | | Soul | |
| Grasshopper | Orthoptera | John Phillips | The Mamas and the Papas | 1971 | Folk rock | |
| The Grasshopper Unit (Keep Movin') | Orthoptera | | Beastie Boys | 2000 | Rap rock | |
| Grasshoppers | Orthoptera | Ryuichi Sakamoto | Ryuichi Sakamoto | 1978 | Jazz fusion | |
| Moth | Lepidoptera | Chad Gray / Kevin Churko / Tom Maxwell / Vinnie Paul | Hellyeah | 2014 | Heavy metal | |
| Moth to a Flame | Lepidoptera | Roger Chapman | Roger Chapman | 1979 | Bluesrock | Second track of the album Chappo |
| Moth to the Flame | Lepidoptera | Luke Morley, Andy Taylor, Mikael Höglund | Thunder | 1995 | Rock | First track of the album Behind Closed Doors |
| Moth's Wings | Lepidoptera | Michael Angelako | Passion Pit | 2009 | Indietronica | |
| That's the way love goes | Lepidoptera | Janet Jackson / Jam & Lewis | Janet Jackson | 1993 | R & B | |
| Mayfly | Ephemeroptera | Stuart Murdoch | Belle and Sebastian | 1996 | Indie pop | |
| Doin' the Cockroach | Blattodea | Modest Mouse | Modest Mouse | 1997 | Indie rock | |
| Lady bug | Coleoptera | | Bumblebee Umlimited | 1978 | Disco | |
| Butterfly | Lepidoptera | Jason Mraz | Jason Mraz | 2008 | Pop / Rock | |
| Bugs | Insects-general | Eddie Vedder | Pearl Jam | 1994 | Rock | |
| All My Friends Are Insects | Insects-general | Adam Deibert | Weezer | 2010 | Rock | |
| Georgia Warhorse | Orthoptera | | JJ Grey & Mofro | 2010 | Funk rock | Named after the Southern Lubber Grasshopper |
| The Blackfly Song | Diptera | Wade Hemsworth | many artists | 1949 | Folk | Inspired a short animated film, Blackfly. |
| Black Fly | Diptera | Billy Gibbons | ZZ Top | 2016 | Southern rock | Third song on the album Rhythmeen |
| Mosquito Moan | Diptera | | Blind Lemon Jefferson | 1927 | Blues | |
| Termite | Blattodea | | Young Thug | 2015 | Hip hop | |
| Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me | Diptera | Thomas Brigham Bishop* | many artists | 1869 | Folk | The writer of the song is somewhat contentious (see Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me) |
| Killa Beez | Hymenoptera | | Killa Beez | 2002 | Hip hop | |
| Wu Killa Beez: The Reemergence | Hymenoptera | | Remedy | 1998 | Hip hop | |
| Dragonfly | Odonata | Ziggy Marley | Ziggy Marley | 2003 | Reggae | |
| The King Beetle on the Coconut Estate | Coleoptera | mewithoutyou / Aaron Weiss | mewithoutyou | 2009 | Indie rock | |
| Fireflies | Coleoptera | Harmony Samuels D/awn Richard, d/rew Scott | Zendaya | 2013 | Electronica | |
| The Cricket Song | Orthoptera | | Rich O'Toole | 2011 | Country | |
| Frass | Insects-general | | Renaldo and the Loaf | 1981 | Experimental | The whole album, Songs for Swining Larvae, is inspired by insects. |
| There Ain't No Bugs On Me | Insects-general | (Traditional folk song) | (Traditional folk song) | Unknown | Folk | There is a popular recording of this song by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman on the album, Not for Kids Only. |
| Dog and Butterfly | Lepidoptera | Ann Wilson N/ancy Wilson, / e Ennis | Heart | 1978 | Folk rock | |
| Hive | Hymenoptera | Sexton / Nick Hexum / Martinez | 311 | 1995 | Rap rock | |
| Red Mosquito | Diptera | Jeff Ament S/tone Gossard, c/k Irons, Mi /McCready, Eddi /Vedder | Pearl Jam | 1996 | Rock | |
| The Bug | Insects-general | Mark Knopfler | Dire Straits | 1991 | Rock | |
| The Bug Collector | Insects-general | Haley Heynderickx | Haley Heynderickx | 2018 | Folk music | |
| I am the Fly | Diptera | Graham Lewis / Colin Newman | Wire | 1978 | Punk rock | |
| Centipede | Chilopoda | Rebbie Jackson | Centipede (album) | 1983 | RnB | |
| Human Fly | Diptera | Lux Interior, Ivy Rorschach | The Cramps | 1979 | Punk rock | |
| Fly on the Wall | Diptera | Miley Cyrus A/ntonina Armato, T /m James, v/rim Karaoglu | Miley Cyrus | 2009 | Pop rock | |
| Fly on the Wall | Diptera | Malcolm Young A/ngus Young /Brian Johnson | ACDC | 1983 | Rock | |
| Fly on the Wall | Diptera | Luke Morley | Thunder | 1995 | Rock | Second track of the album Behind Closed Doors |
| Fly on the Wall | Diptera | The Jesus Lizard | The Jesus Lizard | 1994 | Rock | |
| Fly on a Windshield | Diptera | Tony Banks Phil Collins Peter Gabriel Steve Hackett Mike Rutherford | Genesis | 1974 | Progressive Rock | |
| Insect Hospital | Insects-general | | They Might Be Giants | 2013 | Rock | |
| March of the Fire Ants | Hymenoptera | Mastodon | Mastodon | 2002 | Heavy metal | |
| Beetle | Coleoptera | | Mooi Wark | | Rock | |
| Beetle in the Box | Coleoptera | Louis Abbott | Admiral Fallow | 2012 | Indie pop | |
| Black Beetle Pies | Coleoptera | Trad / arr Flood | Bellowhead | 2012 | Folk | |
| Dragonfly Keeper | Odonata | Phildel | Phildel | 2010 | Neoclassical | Instrumental |
| Durability | Insects-general | | Tribes of Neurot | 2002 | Experimental | The entire album Adaptation and Survival, on which this track is found, is composed entirely of manipulated insect sounds. |
| Silverfish | Thysanura | | Sounds of System Breakdown | 2013 | Electronic music | Instrumental |
| Pediculosis (Mommy, I Have Lice) | Phthiraptera | | Fumigation | 2015 | Metal | |
| The Dreaded Sea Lice Have Come Aboard | Phthiraptera | | Guttermouth | 1999 | Rock | |
| Rats and Mice and Swarms of Lice | Phthiraptera | | Thou | 2014 | Sludge Metal | |
| Love Lice | Phthiraptera | | Fake Shark - Real Zombie! | 2009 | Rock | |
| Earwigs To Eternity | Dermaptera | | Alice Cooper | 2009 | Rock | |
| Catfood On The Earwig | Dermaptera | | Guided by Voices | 1994 | Rock | |
| Earwig Town Lyric | Dermaptera | | Chairlift | 2008 | Rock | |
| Earwig | Dermaptera | | The Dead Milkmen | 1986 | Rock | |
| The Louse House of Kilkenny | Phthiraptera | | The Dubliners | 1978 | Irish folk | |
| Earwig | Dermaptera | | Public Memory | 2016 | Electronic, Music | |
| Lacewing | Neuroptera | | Lacewing | 1970 | Rock | |
| Lacewings | Neuroptera | Alasdair MacLean and The Clientele | The Clientele | 2014 | Indie Pop | |
| Head Lice | Phthiraptera | 18 | Razor Jane | 2008 | Pop | |
| Locust | Orthoptera | Robb Flynn/ Philip Demmel | Machine Head | 2011 | Thrash | |
| Day of the Locusts | Orthoptera | Bob Dylan | Bob Dylan | 1970 | Folk rock | The song's lyrics refer to Brood X of the 17-year periodical cicada (often misidentified as "locusts"), per New Morning explanation |
| Cricket Orchestra | Orthoptera | Smallpeople | Smallpeople | | techno | |
| Crickets | Orthoptera | Damon Thomas Santo/ Allan Craig Iida/ Christopher Daniel Goodman/ Jonathan Rotem/ Anthony Vincent Cozzo/ Christian Scott Condo | Drop City Yacht Club | 2013 | Hip hop | |
| Crickets | Orthoptera | Jaron Boyer/ Colt Ford/ Jeffery Don Hyde | Colt Ford | 2014 | Country | |
| Cricketz | Orthoptera | Earl Benjamin/ Keith Brown/ Dominic Thomas/ Michael Stevenson | New Boyz | 2009 | Hip hop | |
| Cricket On A Line | Orthoptera | Christopher Wongwon/ Jared Sciullo Riley/ Luther Roderick Campbell/ Justin N. Spillner/ Rhett Akins/ Colt Ford | Colt Ford | 2010 | Country | |
| Crickets | Orthoptera | Brent Baxter/ Lisa Shaffer/ Bill Whyte | Joe Nichols | 2013 | Country | |
| Bug Rain | Insects-general | | Looper | | Hip Hop / Rap | |
| Cicada | Hemiptera | | Liam Titcomb | 2012 | Rock | |
| Sicka Cicadas | Hemiptera | | Kathy Ashworth | 2011 | Country | |
| Sassy Cicada | Hemiptera | Kristin Jerger | Kristin Jerger | | Kids | English & Spanish language |
| Stick Insect Song | Phasmatodea | | The Stick Insects | 2009 | Electronica | Instrumental, stick insect animation |
| Song to the Cicadas | Hemiptera | | The Greenhouse Culture Band, CS Luxem | 2015 | | Collaboration to celebrate the cicada |
| Aphids | Hemiptera | | Hum | 2010 | | lyrics |
| Night of the Cicada | Hemiptera | | The People's Republic of Europe | 2014 | Electronic | Netherlands |
| Mayfly | Ephemeroptera | | Belle & Sebastian | 2003 | Indie pop | |
| Mayfly | Ephemeroptera | | Rasputina | 1998 | Rock | |
| Mayfly | Ephemeroptera | | Ben Winship & David Thompson | 2009 | Acoustic Folk | |
| Mayfly | Ephemeroptera | | Andrew Chalk & Tom James Scott | 2013 | Electronic | |
| Mayfly Waltz (for Dilly) | Ephemeroptera | Michael Hoppe | various artists | 2013 | New Age | |
| Flea | Siphonaptera | | Clazziquai | 2008 | Pop | |
| Flea Brain | Siphonaptera | | Vincent Gene | 2005 | Country | |
| Flea Fly | Siphonaptera | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Red Hot Chili Peppers | 1994 | Rock | |
| Flea Versus MIte | Siphonaptera | The Presidents of the United States of America | The Presidents of the United States of America | 2014 | Alternative Rock | |
| Sabrina Sabrina, Flea Ballerina | Siphonaptera | Mr. Billy | Mr. Billy | 2008 | Children's Music | |
| Fifi the Flea | Siphonaptera | Mary Black | Mary Black | 2011 | New Age | |
| Fifi the Flea | Siphonaptera | The Hollies | The Hollies | 1998 | Rock | |
| Spanish Flea | Siphonaptera | | Allan Sherman | 2005 | Miscellaneous | |
| Spanish Flea | Siphonaptera | | Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass | 1965 | Jazz | |
| Flea in Your Ear | Siphonaptera | | Simian Mobile Disco | 2008 | Electronic | |
| Madama Butterfly | Lepidoptera | Giacomo Puccini | | 1903 | Opera | |
| Butterflies and Hurricanes | Lepidoptera | Muse | Muse | 2004 | Alternative Rock | |
| Butterfly Kisses | Lepidoptera | Bob Carlisle | Bob Carlisle | 1997 | Contemporary | |
| Cockroaches | Blattodea | Necro | Necro | 2000 | hip-hop | |
| I Hate Cockroaches | Blattodea | Bananas at Large | Bananas at Large | 1993 | Parody | |
| Butterfly | Lepidoptera | Bassnectar | Bassnectar | 2012 | Electronic | |
| Termite | Blattodea | Jungle by Night | Jungle by Night | 2011 | instrumental | |
| The termite song | Blattodea | The Woodbox Gang | The Woodbox Gang | 2001 | Bluegrass | |
| Odonata | Odonata | | Stuart Masters | 2013 | Folk | Instrumental |
| Oh, Odonata | Odonata | | The Brave Optimistic | 2015 | Indie rock | Title track of album |
| The Wasps | Hymenoptera | Ralph Vaughan Williams | | 1909 | Incidental music | For Aristophanes' play The Wasps |
| Mosquito | Diptera | Ingrid Michaelson | Ingrid Michaelson | 2005 | Pop | |
| Mosquito | Diptera | Bomfunk MC | Bomfunk MC | 2004 | Electronic | |
| Mosquito | Diptera | Franck Langolff | Vanessa Paradis | 1988 | French Pop | |
| Butterfly Bleu | Lepidoptera | Iron Butterfly | Iron Butterfly | 1970 | Rock | |
| Iron Butterfly Theme | Lepidoptera | Iron Butterfly | Iron Butterfly | 1968 | Rock | |
| Springtail Boogie | Collembola | Kenneth Johnston | Instrumental Music from the Horsehead Point Community | 2007 | Rock | |
| Thrips | Thysanoptera | Egret Sylvie | Carpe Diem | 2016 | Electronic | |
| Airplane Mode | Collembola | Flobots | Survival Story | 2010 | Rock | |
| Intro with Cicadas | Hemiptera | The Firefly Choir | The Insect Songbook Vol. 1 | 2016 | Electronic | Entire album is inspired by various orders of insects. |
| Flea Bitten Annie | Siphonaptera | | The A-Bones | 1993 | Garage rock | |
| Dropping Like Flies | Diptera | | The Accüsed | 1990 | Thrash metal | |
| Scream of the Butterfly | Lepidoptera | | Acid Bath | 1994 | Sludge metal | |
| Cassie Eats Cockroaches | Blattodea | | Acid Bath | 1994 | Sludge metal | |
| Ants Invasion | Hymenoptera | Adam Ant/Marco Pirroni | Adam and the Ants | 1980 | New wave | |
| Antmusic | Hymenoptera | Adam Ant/Marco Pirroni | Adam and the Ants | 1980 | New wave | |
| Ant Rap | Hymenoptera | Adam Ant/Marco Pirroni | Adam and the Ants | 1981 | New wave | |
| Rap de las Hormigas | Hymenoptera | Charly García | Charly García | 1987 | New wave | |
| King Wasp | Hymenoptera | | Add N to (X) | 1998 | Electroclash | |
| Butterfly | Lepidoptera | | Admiral Bailey | 1992 | Dancehall | |
| Joanie's Butterfly | Lepidoptera | Steven Tyler/Jimmy Crespo/Jack Douglas | Aerosmith | 1982 | Hard rock | |
| Empire Ants | Hymenoptera | Damon Albarn | Gorillaz | 2010 | Electro-funk / Alternative Dance | Features the vocals of Little Dragon's Yukumi Nagano |
| Insects Are All Around Us | Orthoptera | Mark Ramos-Nishita | Money Mark | 1994 | Lo-Fi Downtempo / Funk | Contains spoken word sample relating to Crickets. |
| Cicada Love Call | Hemiptera | F. Anderson / T. Swift | Toby Swift Music | 2021 | Country / Novelty | Contains spoken word |
| Hey There, Little Insect | Insecta | | Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers | 1976 | | Lyrics |
| The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us! | Hymenoptera | Sufjan Stevens | Sufjan Stevens | 2005 | | Lyrics |
| Bees | Hymenoptera | Laura Cantrell | Laura Cantrell | 2005 | | Lyrics |
| Praying Mantis | Mantodea | Don Dixon | Don Dixon | 1985 | | Lyrics |
| Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues | Coleoptera: Boll weevil | Charley Patton | Charley Patton | 1929 | | Lyrics |
| Escapism (Gettin’ Free) | Insecta | Digable Planets | Digable Planets | 1993 | | Lyrics |
| Frelon Brun (Brown Hornet) | Hymenoptera | | Miles Davis | 1961 | Jazz | Instrumental |
| El Grillo | Orthoptera | Josquin des Prez | many performers | 1505 | | Lyrics |
| Sex Jam Two: Insect Incest | Hymenoptera | | Milemarker | 2000 | Rock / Post-hardcore | |
| Venus' Flytrap And The Bug | Insecta | | Stevie Wonder | 1979 | Pop / Jazz-Funk | From the POV of an insect being coerced and preyed upon by a Venus Flytrap. |
| Cicada Days | Hemiptera | Will Wood | Will Wood | 2022 | Folk rock | Single from Will Wood's album, In Case I Make It, and partially inspired by cicadas' brooding patterns. |
| The Mayfly Dance | Ephemeroptera | Switchback | Switchback | 2010 | Folk | |
| Wings Off Flies | Diptera | Nick Cave/JG Thirlwell | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | 1984 | Post-punk / Experimental rock | Lyrics |
| Cockroach Waltz | Blattodea | Jack Off Jill | Jack Off Jill | 1996 | Goth rock | Lyrics |
| Hornet's Heart | Hymenoptera | Brian Hageman | Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 | 1992 | Experimental rock | Lyrics |
| Hive | Hymenoptera | Mark Davies | Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 | 1992 | Experimental rock | Lyrics |
| Being Boiled | Bombyx mori | Philip Oakey, Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh | The Human League | 1978 | Electronic, synthpop | A protest against sericulture |
| I'm Nature's Mosquito | Hemiptera | Jonathan Richman | Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers | 1979 | Rock | |
| Kabutomushi | Allomyrina | Aiko Yanai | aiko | 1999 | J-Pop | Lyrics |
| Outdoor Miner | Agromyzidae | Colin Newman / Graham Lewis | Wire | 1979 | Post-punk / jangle pop | Song is about the life cycle of the serpentine leaf miner, and inspired by co-writer Lewis' fascination with this insect. |
| Flohwalzer | Siphonaptera | traditional | many artists | | Classical | Simple piano piece, also known as 'the Flea Waltz'. |
| Butterfly | Lepidoptera | Robert Uhlmann | Smile.dk | 1998 | Eurodance / bubblegum pop | |
| I wanna be a one day fly | Ephemeroptera | Viggo Waas / Owen Schumacher / Joep van Deutekom / Peter Heerschop / Peter Schön / Hans Sibbel / Daan van Rijsbergen / Jack Spijkerman / Hans Riemens | One Day Fly (Kopspijkers) | 2001 | Pop / Satire | Band name is a play on 'eendagsvlieg', the Dutch word for both 'mayfly' and 'one-hit wonder' |
| Eurhopalathrix | Hymenoptera | AxExHxCx | AxExHxCx | 2023 | Gorenoise/Goregrind/ Rock | Single from "HYPOPOMYRMEX" It was released by GxMxPx & AxExHxCx and the album is based entirely around ants. |