larva

From Latin larva (“ghost-like, masked”).


apollo

From the name of the Greek god of beauty, Apollo, from Ancient Greek Ἀπόλλων (Apóllōn).

Parnassius apollo
Wikispecies:Parnassius apollo

Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo, a large swallowtail with black and red spots on white wings)


vespa

Coordinate term: lambretta

(motorcycling) Alternative letter-case form of Vespa; motor scooter


formica

From Latin formīca, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *morwi. Cognates include Ancient Greek μύρμηξ (múrmēx).


zanzara

From Late Latin zinzala, of imitative origin.

Ho ucciso la zanzara.


mosca

it-noun

mosca f (plural mosche, diminutive moschétta or moschìna or moschìno m or moschettìna, augmentative (uncommon) moscóna, pejorative moscàccia)

mosche (plural)
moschétta (diminutive)
moschìna (diminutive)
moschìno (diminutive masculine)
moschettìna (diminutive)
moscóna (augmentative uncommon)
moscàccia (pejorative)

From Latin musca, from a Proto-Indo-European root *mus-, *mu-, *mew-. Compare Spanish mosca.

(by extension, figurative):
soul patch (narrow beard)

(in the plural) Black spots on a horse's coat.

(nautical, historical) aviso, advice boat


cicala

Inherited from Early Medieval Latin cicāla, from Latin cicāda.


termite

termite (white-bodied, wood-consuming insect)


immagine

it-noun

immagine f (plural immagini, diminutive immaginina or immaginétta, pejorative immaginùccia)

immagini (plural)
immaginina (diminutive)
immaginétta (diminutive)
immaginùccia (pejorative)

From Latin imāginem (“image, imitation”), from Proto-Italic *imā (“copy”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- (“copy”). Doublet of imago, and also the now-archaic mania.


grillo

From Latin gryllus, from Ancient Greek γρύλλος (grúllos).

shackle (U-shaped piece of metal secured with a pin or bolt across the opening)


farfalla

Perhaps from Old Italian parpaglione, from Latin papiliō (“butterfly”). Compare Old French paveillon, Catalan papalló, Provençal parpalhos, Lombardic parpaja. The f is difficult to account for, though it might be due to the Tuscan gorgia.
Alternatively, from the dialectal Arabic word in Maltese farfett, Tunisian Arabic فرططو/فرفطو (farṭaṭṭu/farfaṭṭu), which is from Berber; compare Kabyle aferṭeṭṭu (“butterfly, moth”). Forms with a second -f- are apparently attested within Berber as well, but are at any rate explainable. For the -ll-, the Arabic emphatic [tˤ] could easily have been interpreted by southern Italians as their retroflex [ɖ] and then replaced with the cognate [l] as the word moved northwards (compare Sicilian beddu versus Italian bello).

cog

(usually in the plural) pasta in the shape of butterflies or bow ties


scarabeo

From Latin scarabaeus, from Ancient Greek κάραβος (kárabos, “beetle”).


scarafaggio

Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch
it:scarafaggio

For Vulgar Latin *scarafaius (cf. 10th c. glosses scarafagius), a local, perhaps Oscanized variant of Latin scarabaeus (“scarab, dung beetle”), of uncertain origin. This variant is also reflected by several Provencal forms. Compare Sicilian scravagghiu.


baco da seta

From the nouns baco (“worm”) and seta (“silk”), with the preposition da.


tafano

From Vulgar Latin *tafānus, from Latin tabānus (“gadfly, horsefly”).

(figurative, by extension) gadfly (one who upsets the status quo)


coccinella

From the scientific Latin genus name Coccinella, from coccinus.


pidocchio

From Late Latin peduclus, contracted form of peduculus, variant of Latin pēdīculus, diminutive of pēdis (“louse”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pezd-. Compare Sicilian pidicchiu.


calabrone

Possibly from a Vulgar Latin form *carabriōnem, from Latin crābrōnem, from Proto-Italic *krāzrō, from a Proto-Indo-European form *krH-s-r-o, from the root *ḱerh₂- (“head”).


maggiolino

From maggio (“May”) + -ino. Compare English May bug, Dutch meikever, German Maikäfer, Russian ма́йский жук (májskij žuk).

cog

ма́йский жук


pulce

From Latin pūlicem, from Proto-Indo-European *plúsis (“flea”).


bombo

Onomatopoeic, from Latin bombum, from bombus (“buzz, humming sound”).


ape regina

queen, queen bee (reproductive female animal in a hive)


formicaio

From formica + -aio, possibly corresponding to a Vulgar Latin *formīcārium, from Latin formīca. Compare Spanish hormiguero, Portuguese formigueiro, Friulian furmiâr, Romanian furnicar, Catalan formiguer.

(figurative) any place full of activity, or in which people are very busy; beehive


mantide

From Ancient Greek μάντις (mántis, “soothsayer”).


locusta

Borrowed from Latin locusta, of uncertain origin. Doublet of the inherited aragosta.


moscone

From mosca (“fly”) + -one (augmentative suffix).

suffix

(nautical) a type of recreational watercraft consisting of two parallel floaters joined together, propelled by oars


aede

Aedes (genus within the family Culicidae – a genus of mosquito)


piattola

From Latin blattula, diminutive of blatta (“insect that shuns light”).


cavolaia maggiore

it-noun

cavolaia maggiore f (plural cavolaie maggiori)


cavolaia minore

cavolaia minore f (plural cavolaie minori)


tricottero

From the order name Trichoptera, from Ancient Greek θρίξ (thríx, “hair”) (trico-) and πτερόν (pterón, “wing”).


carruga

Borrowed from Lombard caruga, possibly from a blend of Latin caries (“decay, rot”) + ērūca (“caterpillar”).


moschino

From mosca (“fly”) + -ino (diminutive suffix).


dorifora

Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Leptinotarsa decemlineata#Translingual

potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata, syn. Doryphora decemlineata)


elaterio

From Latin elatērium, from Ancient Greek ἐλατήριον (elatḗrion).

click beetle, snapping beetle (of family Elateridae)


forficula

Borrowed from Latin forficula (“small scissors”). Doublet of forfecchia.


forfecchia

Inherited from Latin forficula (“small pair of scissors; earwig”). Doublet of forficula.


sicofante

From Latin sȳcophanta (“informer, trickster”), from Ancient Greek σῡκοφάντης (sūkophántēs).

uder

forest caterpillar hunter
forest caterpillar hunter

forest caterpillar hunter (the ground beetle Calosoma sycophanta)


gorgoglione

From Latin gurguliōnem, alternative form of curculiō (“weevil”). In Old Italian there also existed a variant gorgoglio, likely from the Latin nominative gurguliō. Compare also Catalan corcoll, Spanish gorgojo.


gorgoglione

(regional) Synonym of gruccione (“European bee-eater”)


grillotalpa

it-noun

grillotalpa f or m (masculine plural (rare) grillitalpa, feminine plural grillotalpe)

grillitalpa (masculine plural rare)
grillotalpe (feminine plural)


saltamartino

Verb-object compound, composed of salta (“to jump; to skip”) + Martino (literally “Martin”).

it-verb-obj

(informal) grasshopper, cricket (or similar jumping insect (or toy based on it))


tipula

cranefly (of family Tipulidae), daddy longlegs


acciughina

From acciuga (“anchovy”) + -ina (diminutive suffix).


cerambicide

longhorn beetle (of family Cerambycidae)


andrena

From New Latin, from Ancient Greek ἀνδρήνη (andrḗnē, “wasp”).


vanessa

red admiral, painted lady or any other butterfly of the genus Vanessa


ranatra

any of the genus Ranatra of water scorpions


dermestide

From New Latin Dermestes, from Ancient Greek δερμηστής (dermēstḗs).

dermestid (insect of the genus Dermestes)


rodilegno

Verb-object compound, composed of rodi (“to gnaw”) + legno (“wood”).

it-verb-obj

(entomology) goat moth, miller moth (Cossus cossus)


podalirio

scarce swallowtail (butterfly of species Iphiclides podalirius)


cassida delle barbabietole

it-noun

cassida delle barbabietole f (plural casside delle barbabietole)

Literally, “tortoise beetle of the beets”.


formica bulldog

it-noun

formica bulldog f (plural formiche bulldog)


giallone

giallone m (plural gialloni, feminine giallona)

(derogatory) a person with a yellowish complexion


giallone

it-adj

giallone (feminine giallona, masculine plural gialloni, feminine plural giallone)

giallona (feminine)
gialloni (masculine plural)
giallone (feminine plural)


cavalletta verde

it-noun

cavalletta verde f (plural cavallette verdi)

great green bush-cricket (Tettigonia viridissima)


marmeggia

Ultimately from Latin vermiculus, diminutive of vermis (“worm”). Considering its highly unusual development, perhaps borrowed via a regional language of Italy.

name of several species of insects in the Dermestes taxonomic genus, especially the larder beetle (Dermestes lardarius)


bombilio

Borrowed from translingual Bombylius, from Ancient Greek βομβυλιός (bombuliós, “a buzzing insect; (by extension) a narrow-necked vessel”).

der

(archaeology, Ancient Greece) a small vessel used for perfumes and ointments


epilacna

Borrowed from translingual Epilachna, derived from Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + λάχνη (lákhnē, “woolly hair”).

any beetle in the Epilachna taxonomic genus


adalia

any ladybug in the Adalia taxonomic genus


mosca cavallina

it-noun

mosca cavallina f (plural mosche cavalline)


mosca culaia

Literally, “butt-fly”, due to its habit of biting the behind of horses.

Synonym of mosca cavallina (“forest fly”)


pesciolino d'argento

pesciolino d'argento m (plural pesciolini d'argento)

(entomology) silverfish (Lepisma saccharina)


epioflebia

any insect of the Epiophlebia taxonomic genus


erebia

any member of species of the genus Erebia of butterflies.


cimice dei letti

cimice dei letti f (plural cimici dei letti)


calosoma verde

calosoma verde m (plural calosomi verdi)

forest caterpillar hunter (the ground beetle Calosoma sycophanta)


calosoma comune

calosoma comune m (plural calosomi comuni)


calosoma

From translingual Calosoma, derived from Ancient Greek καλός (kalós, “beautiful”) + σῶμα (sôma, “body”).

com

caterpillar hunter (any ground beetle of the genus Calosoma)