Bugs are small creatures you catch with a net in Dinkum, and each kind follows its own pattern of seasons, times of day and places. Catching them has value beyond the collection, since you can sell them or give them to the museum. Players can collect every bug and keep track of the ones they still need in the game.
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Bug Nets in Dinkum: Where to Get One and How to Keep It Working
You need a net to catch any bug, so it helps to know where to get one. Your first net comes from Fletch once you place your tent. After that, John sells nets for 1,100 Dinks, the game's currency.
Nets wear down over time, so keep a spare on you and fix worn nets at the Repair Table. You don't want your only net wearing out in the middle of a hunt.
The Comp Bug Net is the sturdier option. It lasts longer than the regular net and has a bigger catching area, which makes it easier to land a bug. Julia sells it for 4,400 Dinks on the morning of the Bug Catching Comp, and you can repair it at the Repair Table.
How to Catch Bugs in Dinkum
Stand on the tile directly behind the bug and swing. Aiming takes a bit of practice, so a few swings may be needed, but a bug you miss doesn't disappear, so you can keep trying. Approach quietly, and keep your sound on, since some bugs, like flies, are easier to hear than to see.
A long hunt can fill your bag fast, so sell or donate bugs as you go to keep room for the next ones.
Where and When to Find Bugs in Dinkum
Every bug follows its own pattern, so it helps to check the season and place before you head out. The Fiddler Beetle shows up in autumn and winter, only in the morning, and it lives in the Bushlands and the Tropics. You won't find it in the desert. The Stinkbug is an autumn bug, and it can turn up anywhere on the island at any hour.
Rarity works on the same principle. Some bugs turn up often enough that you'll spot them on most trips, while others are scarce and can take many trips to find. For the scarce ones, going out in the right season, at the right time and to the right place matters a lot. Searching without a plan wastes a lot of walking, so knowing the pattern first saves time.
Selling Bugs and Giving Them to the Museum
You can sell caught bugs to John, and the price depends on the bug. During the Bug Catching Comp, Julia buys bugs at 2.5 times their usual value, so it pays to save a few good catches for that day.
The museum is the other option. Handing a bug to the museum earns Permit Points, and you only need one of each kind. Extra copies are better sold or kept.
The permit points are the bigger deal. They add up to a license, and you need that license to move forward in the game, so museum donations are more than a side bonus.
How the Bug Catching Comp Works
The Bug Catching Comp is a competition where you try to score the most points by catching bugs. Each bug is worth a set number of points, and those points count the moment you catch it. Releasing a bug or placing it down afterward doesn't take the points away.
Points only count once they're logged in the competition book in Julia's tent, and logging has to happen before the competition ends at 4 PM. You can keep coming back to log more, so you don't need to do it all at once. During the competition, Julia also pays 2.5 times the usual value for bugs.
The whole island competes against you, and visiting players can join in too. The top three finishers get a trophy in the mailbox the next day, and placing in the top three counts toward the Bug Comp Champ milestone.
FAQ
When is the Bug Catching Comp in Dinkum?
Julia hosts it on the 15th of Spring and the 15th of Autumn at the Visitors Site. It runs from 9 AM to 4 PM, and she only shows up once the Museum is built and Theodore has moved in.
Are critters the same as bugs in Dinkum?
No. Critters are sea and river creatures, and you collect them by diving instead of swinging a bug net. Bubbles rising from the seabed mean a critter is nearby, so dive close and collect it. You can sell critters to John or donate them to the museum through Theodore.
How do I identify bugs in the wild in Dinkum?
Buy the Bug Book from the Museum once you've donated half of the bug, fish and critter collection. Use it from your toolbar and it shows the name and price above nearby bugs you've already caught.