Bug-type

The Bug-type (むしタイプ, Mushi Taipu) is one of the eighteen types. Notable Trainers that specialize in Bug-type Pokémon are Bugsy of Azalea Town, Aaron of the Sinnoh Elite Four, Burgh of Castelia City, and Viola of Santalune City. Prior to changes in Generation Sinnoh all Bug-type moves were physical, but they may now also be special depending on the attack.

Statistical averages[]

Overall[]

HP=56.03
Attack=67.66
Defense=70.08
SpAtk=53.97
SpDef=64.09
Speed=59.82
- Total=371.65

Fully evolved[]

HP=64.83
Attack=82.74
Defense=80.63
SpAtk=68.49
SpDef=79.51
Speed=70.83
- Total=447.03

Battle properties[]

Characteristics[]

Bug Pokémon are usually amongst the first Pokémon types a Trainer can find in the wild, with the exception of Pokémon Black and White. They generally evolve at very early levels compared to most other Pokémon. The type varies from strong to weak. Depending on the Bug Pokémon, they can prove to be a nuisance with stat altering moves or hit hard with attacks such as Megahorn, X-Scissor, Signal Beam and Bug Buzz. As of Generation Unova there is only one legendary Bug-type Pokémon, Genesect. (Excluding Arceus holding the Insect Plate.)

Offense[]

Offensively, they are somewhat flawed. They are effective against Psychic and Dark types, which are two types common in most teams; but their strength against the very common Grass type is reduced by the common Grass/Poison typing. In Generation Kanto, there were only three Bug-type moves Leech Life, Twineedle, and Pin Missile); none of which were very powerful. Since then, the range (and average base power) of Bug-type moves has increased. However, since seven types resist Bug-type attacks, Bug-type attacks still don't deal a lot of damage to many types. The fact that they are resisted by Poison—a popular defensive type—causes further problems (though many Poison types also have a subtype that is weak to Bug—commonly Grass—which helps alleviate this issue). Furthermore, their advantage over Psychic types is compromised by the relatively common typing of Bug/Poison types; Psychic types with Bug-resistant types; and the high speed, special attack and wide movepools that many Psychic types have. Despite these offensive flaws, the Bug type pairs effectively with Water and Ice.

Defense[]

Defensively, Bug types are still flawed, because of their low Defense and the fact that there are many that are part Flying-type, multiplying their weakness to Rock-type. In this way their resistance to Ground-type and Fighting-type, the two most effective types (in terms of number of type advantages), are of little use seeing as many Pokémon of both types can learn Rock moves. Dual-type Bug/Flying and Bug/Poison Pokémon have an outstanding double resistance to Fighting-type, which can make up for their low Defense. They also have a double resistance to common Grass-type moves, meaning they would take very little damage from powerful moves such as Giga Drain, Energy Ball, or Petal Dance.

The Bug/Steel Pokémon prove particularly effective as they only have one weakness (although it's a double weakness) and ten resistances (including one immunity).

Contest Properties[]

When used in Contests, Bug-type moves do not favor one Contest category.

Pokémon[]

As of Generation Unova, there are 69 Bug-type Pokémon or 9.4% of all Pokémon (counting forms and Mega Evolutions that change typing as different Pokémon), making it the 6th most common type.

Pure Bug-type Pokémon[]

Caterpie
Metapod
Pinsir
Pineco
Wurmple
Silcoon
Cascoon
Volbeat
Illumise
Kricketot
Kricketune
Burmy
Karrablast
Shelmet
Accelgor
Scatterbug
Spewpa

Half Bug-type Pokémon[]

Primary Bug-type Pokémon[]

Secondary Bug-type Pokémon[]

Anorith
Armaldo
Skorupi

Moves[]

Trivia[]

Generation Unova introduced the most Bug-type Pokémon of any Generation, with 18, and Generation Kalos introduced the fewest Bug-type Pokémon, with three.
- Generation Sinnoh is also the only Generation not to introduce a dual Bug/Flying Pokémon.
Generation Sinnoh introduced the most Bug-type moves of any Generation, with seven, and Generations Johto and Hoenn introduced the fewest Bug-type moves, with three.
Statistically, the Bug type is the weakest; among the 17 elemental types, the Bug type has the lowest average base stat total (371.57). This may be a reference to the position of bugs in nature; they are small compared with other animals, and few of them are predators.
- However, Generation Sinnoh and Unova introduced several Bug-type Pokémon with higher base stat totals, even over 500, including one at 600.
Almost all Bug-type Pokémon evolve very early, perhaps due to their low stats. In the games, one reason for this could be to give the player the opportunity of having a strong, evolved Pokémon in the beginning of their journey in order to earn the first Gym Badges more easily. Despite this, the first Gyms of the first four generations are strong against Bug types, as they specialize in Rock and Flying types. Of the ones that are not strong, the Striaton City Gym has a chance to specialize in Fire types, while the Aspertia City and Santalune City Gyms are type-neutral. In fact, Cilan is the only potential first Gym Leader with a type weakness to Bug.
Even though Flying-type is a common secondary type among Bug-type Pokémon, the only Bug-type Pokémon that can learn the move Fly, Volcarona and Genesect, are not Flying types.
Until Sinnoh, several Bug-type Pokémon, Shuckle, Kricketot, Burmy, Wormadam, and Combee, were unable to learn any Bug-type moves. Each of them is now able to learn Bug Bite by level, and Wormadam can learn Signal Beam by Move Tutor.
Larvesta evolves at level 59, the highest among two-stage evolutionary lines and second-highest overall, only surpassed by Zweilous, which evolves at level 64.
Until Generation Sinnoh, the only Bug moves with a power above 25 were Megahorn, Signal Beam, and Silver Wind, which made them extremely difficult to use offensively.
As of Generation Johto, the Bug type (along with the Fighting type) are one of only two pairs of different types to share the same interaction against each other (Bug resists Fighting and vice versa). The other pair is Normal and Ghost (Normal is immune to Ghost and vice versa).
- In Generation Kanto, the Bug type and the Poison type also shared the same interaction: they were super-effective against each other. As of Generation Johto, Poison-type Pokémon now resist Bug-type moves, and Poison-type moves are neutral against Bug types.
  - The Poison type's now neutral match-up against the Bug type could reflect the real-life principle behind insects being able to adapt to poison.
The Flying type is one of the two types most commonly paired with the Bug type (along with Poison). However there are a number of Bug types, despite being able to fly, that are not Flying types, nor have the Ability Levitate. These include Beedrill, Venomoth, Heracross, Dustox, Volbeat, Illumise, and Volcarona.
With the exception of Whirlipede, all mid-evolution Bug Pokémon are based on cocoons.
String Shot is the only Bug-type status move that can miss.
The Bug type was the most common 4× weakness in Generation Kanto, with 11 Pokémon doubly weak to it, mainly due to Poison type having a weakness to it at the time.
No non-Bug type gains a Bug type upon evolving. It shares this distinction with the Normal type.