Bug collecting
Releasing Butterflies
A Sim releases caught Butterflies
Releasing Fireflies
A Sim releases caught Fireflies
- Not to be confused with Glitches.
Bug Catching was first introduced in The Sims 2: Seasons, allowing Sims to catch butterflies and fireflies. The Sims 2: FreeTime allows the catching of bugs and adding them to a collection. The Sims 2 Castaway for DS, allows the player to gather bugs, to either eat, trade and keep and collect. The Sims 3 also features collecting butterflies and beetles.
Bug Catching
This section describes features that are only available in Seasons.
Butterflies appear during the day and fireflies in the evening. A Sim can try to catch a butterfly or firefly in a jar by clicking on the tile where they appear. It may take several tries before they catch one. Once one is caught Sims can view them inside the jar or release them. If they are left in the jar they will die.
With FreeTime, Sims who catch butterflies might occasionally put them in their bug collection.
Enter cheat mode:
type: ^ Ctrl+⇧ Shift+C
Turn the cheat on:bugJarTimeDecay on
Turn the cheat off:bugJarTimeDecay off
Notes: Enabling this cheat will make caught butterflies and fireflies live forever.
Hunt Bugs
This section describes features that are only available in The Sims 2: FreeTime.
There are three types of bugs a Sim can catch: Beetles, Butterflies and Spiders. To catch bugs, click on an area outside and select "Hunt Bugs". Sims will continue this action indefinitely but will not always catch anything. Once a Sim catches a bug it will be placed in their collection box, which can be found in their inventory. Players can view the collection by placing it on the lot and selecting "View". When Sims go hiking, they might catch a bug. If they already have that bug in the collection, they'll release it. A Sim must have enthusiasm in the Nature hobby to be able to collect all of the bugs.
Collections
| Image | Beetle | Image | Butterfly | Image | Spider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dapper Pinstripe Beetle | 
|
Jelly Butterfly | Striped Spindler Spider | |
|
Polka Beetle | 
|
Peanut Butterfly | Grey Widow Spider | |
|
Couch Potato Beetle | 
|
Empress Butterfly | Paratrooper Spider | |
|
Gentleman Beetle | 
|
Blue Featherwing Butterfly | Mock Spider | |
|
Jack Beetle | 
|
Margarina Butterfly | Itsius Bitsius Spider | |
|
Prancer Beetle | 
|
Mademe Butterfly | Hot Dog Spider | |
|
Tri-Horn Greeves Beetle | 
|
Vampire Butterfly | Queen Charlotte Spider | |
|
Ringo Beetle | 
|
Pygmalion Butterfly | Huntsperson Spider | |
|
Mock Ladybug Beetle | 
|
Copper Pot Butterfly | Single-Fanged Betsy Spider | |
|
Green Bottle Beetle | 
|
Socialus Butterfly | Teddy Bear Spider |
The Sims 3
Butterflies and beetles are also collectible in The Sims 3.
Butterflies
| Image | Butterfly | Rarity | Value | EP | Where? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Moth | Common | §5 | 
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Monarch Butterfly | Common | §10 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Zephyr Metalmark Butterfly | Common | §25 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Red Admiral Butterfly | Common | §35 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Mission Blue Butterfly | Uncommon | §55 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Green Swallowtail Butterfly | Uncommon | §100 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Royal Purple Butterfly | Uncommon | §150 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Silver-Spotted Skipper Butterfly | Rare | §400 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Zebra Butterfly | Rare | §791 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Rainbow Butterfly | Extraordinarily Unusual | §1400 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Crypt Moth | Uncommon | §65 | 
|
Egypt |
|
Cleopatra Butterfly | Extraordinarily Unusual | §1200 |
|
Egypt |
|
Bamboo Straight Swift Butterfly | Common | §20 |
|
China |
|
Yellow Band Dart Butterfly | Rare | §430 |
|
China |
|
Two-Tailed Pasha Butterfly | Uncommon | §110 |
|
France |
|
Glowy Fly | Extraordinarily Unusual | §1500 |
|
France |
|
Green Will-O'-The-Wisp | Uncommon | 
|
Base Neighborhood | |
|
Blue Will-O'-The-Wisp | Rare |
|
Base Neighborhood | |
|
Pink Will-O'-The-Wisp | Extraordinarily Unusual |
|
Base Neighborhood |
-
A Sim with the Red Admiral butterfly.
-
Ten types of butterflies in terrariums
Beetles
| Img | Beetle | Rarity | Max Value | EP | Where? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cockroach |
Common |
§1 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Ladybug |
Common |
§10 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Japanese Beetle |
Common |
§15 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Water Beetle |
Common |
§30 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Light Beetle |
Uncommon |
§50 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Rhinocerous Beetle |
Uncommon |
§100 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Stag Beetle |
Uncommon |
§210 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Spotted Beetle |
Rare |
§500 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Trilobite Beetle |
Rare |
§750 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Rainbow Beetle |
Extraordinarily Unusual |
§1400 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Scarab |
Uncommon |
§180 |
|
Egypt |
|
Red Assassin Bug |
Rare |
§800 |
|
China |
|
Cerambyx |
Common |
§70 |
|
France |
|
Termite |
Common |
§5 |
|
Base Neighborhood |
|
Spider |
Common |
§15 |
|
Base Neighborhood |