Know Before You Go
Insect Facts | Galapagos Islands Wildlife Guide
Some two-thirds of Galapagos invertebrates are insects, although you are fairly unlikely to come across or notice most of them. Many are nocturnal or are only present in significant numbers after a heavy rainfall.
Insects are the most numerous animals in existence. Literally millions of species are found in the tropics and more than 1,000 are thought to inhabit the Galapagos. This comparatively small number is very reflective of the difficulty that insects had in crossing the almost 620 miles of ocean to colonize the islands.
Some of the most attractive and easy to see insects are the butterflies. There are ten species or subspecies, three of which are thought to be endemic. Other than butterflies, there are not many colorful insect species in the Galapagos. There are, however, many species of moths, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, cockroaches, dragonflies, flies and spiders. There is also only one species of bee, one preying mantis and two types of scorpions in the Galapagos. The scorpions are rarely encountered, and though their sting can be painful, they are not normally dangerous.
Header photo: Court Whelan
