Agitha is weird. Let’s just get that out of the way. You walk into her "castle" in Hyrule Castle Town, and she’s talking about a ball for insects. It’s charming, sure, but tracking down all 24 golden bugs is a massive undertaking that sends you into every dusty corner of Hyrule. If you’re playing the HD remake on Wii U or the original GameCube/Wii versions, the hunt remains mostly the same, though the HD version thankfully adds the Ghost Lantern—which doesn't help with bugs, but hey, it’s one less thing to worry about at night.
Most people stumble upon their first few bugs by accident. You’ll be running through Faron Woods and see a faint, golden glow. You hear that distinct shimmering chime. That’s the game telling you to stop saving the world for a second and grab a net. Or just use your boomerang. Honestly, the Gale Boomerang is the MVP for this quest. It tracks them, snags them, and brings them right to Link’s hands.
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Faron Woods and the Early Game Scavenge
You’ve probably already found the Male Beetle. He’s just hanging out on a tree trunk near the pond in the Faron Woods. It’s almost a tutorial. But his partner? The Female Beetle is a bit more annoying. You have to look up. She’s perched on a high tree branch in the northern part of the same area. Use the Gale Boomerang. If you miss, she might flutter around, making your life difficult.
The Ants are located in Kakariko Village, which feels appropriate since that place is always a bit of a mess. Check the back of the graveyard for the Male Ant. He’s usually crawling around the floor near one of the trees. The Female Ant is actually inside one of the houses. Go into the house on the west side (the one with the abandoned feel) and she’s scurrying across the floor.
Getting these early sets to Agitha quickly is a pro move. Why? Because the first bug you give her nets you the Big Wallet. That jumps your capacity from 300 to 600 rupees. In the early game, that’s the difference between being broke and actually being able to afford the Hawkeye or extra potions.
The Tricky Twilight Princess Insect Locations in Eldin Province
Eldin is huge, and the bugs here love to hide in plain sight. Take the Pill Bugs. The male is just outside the Kakariko Gorge bridge. You’ll find him on the ground, likely near some grass. But the female? She’s tucked away in a patch of flowers on the southern side of that same gorge. It’s easy to run right past her if you’re sprinting on Epona.
Then there are the Phasmids. These look like stick insects and they are incredibly frustrating if you aren't looking at the bridge supports. The Male Phasmid is on the south end of the Eldin Bridge. Look at the archway structure. The Female is on the northern side, but she's way up high on the cliff face. This is where the Gale Boomerang is non-negotiable. You aren't reaching her without it.
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Why does Agitha want these, anyway?
There’s a bit of lore debate here. Agitha claims she’s hosting a ball, but if you give her a bug and then try to leave her house without giving her the partner, she gets... intense. She’s one of the few NPCs in The Legend of Zelda history that feels genuinely unsettling if you cross her. But the rewards—the Giant Wallet and eventually the Colossal Wallet (in the HD version)—are just too good to ignore. You need those rupees for the Magic Armor later, which drains your bank account faster than a Zora swims downstream.
Crossing the Great Hylia Bridge for Lake Hylia’s Bugs
Lake Hylia is a vertical nightmare for bug hunting. The Praying Mantis pair is a classic example. The male is flying around the northern end of the Great Bridge of Hylia. He’s hard to miss because he’s often silhouetted against the sky. The female, however, is hiding under the eaves of a house at the southern end of the bridge.
Actually, wait. Let’s talk about the Grasshoppers.
The Male Grasshopper is in the northern part of Hyrule Field (the Eldin province section). He’s just hopping in the dirt. But the Female Grasshopper is way out in the northeastern part of the field. Most players miss her because she blends into the yellowish grass perfectly.
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The Lanayru Province: Where Things Get Complicated
Lanayru is where the "twilight princess insect locations" really start to test your patience. You have to deal with the Stag Beetles. The male is near the river in the northern part of the province, sitting on a tree. The female is up on a rocky ledge near the entrance to the frozen Zora’s Domain.
But the real prizes are the Butterflies.
- Male Butterfly: Found right near the entrance to the eastern road leading out of Hyrule Castle Town. Look for the patch of flowers.
- Female Butterfly: This one is tricky. She’s on a high ledge in the same general area, but you usually need to use the Clawshot or find a specific path to get high enough to see her shimmering.
The Ladybugs are also in this region. The male is hiding near the south entrance of Castle Town, often hanging out on a pillar. The female is in the same area, but usually tucked away behind a tree or near the edge of the fountain. They are small. Really small. Turn your volume up; the chime is more reliable than your eyes here.
The Desert and the Hidden Snails
Once you get to the Gerudo Desert, you’re looking for Dayflies. They look like tiny glowing ghosts hovering over the sand. The male is in the middle of the southern desert. The female is in a trench a bit further north. Because the desert is so flat and featureless, these are actually some of the easiest to spot from a distance, provided it’s not a sandstorm.
The Snails are a different story.
The Male Snail is in the Temple of Time’s courtyard (in the past). Look in the alcove to the left of the stairs. The Female Snail is in the "present day" version of the Sacred Grove, tucked into a corner of the ruins. It’s a clever bit of location-sharing by the developers. It forces you to think about the map in two different time periods.
The Final Stretch: Dragonflies and Rewards
The Dragonflies are the last big hurdle. The male is at Zora’s Domain, near the mother-and-child rock formation. The female is hovering over the water near the rental shack in the Upper Zora's River.
Once you’ve collected all 24, you head back to Agitha. The final reward is the Giant Wallet (or Colossal Wallet), and more importantly, a sense of completion. But there's a secret benefit most people forget. Every time you give a bug to Agitha, she gives you a "gift" of 50 rupees. If you bring her the partner bug at the same time, she gives you 100. If you’re smart, you use this to fund the Malo Mart quest in Castle Town. It’s basically a legal way to launder insects into cold, hard cash.
Actionable Tips for your Bug Hunt
If you're going for the 100% completion, don't do this all at once. It’s a recipe for burnout. Instead, follow these specific steps:
- Listen, Don't Just Look: The sound design in Twilight Princess is your best friend. Every golden bug emits a distinct "tinkling" sound that gets louder as you approach. If you hear it but don't see it, look up at the trees or down in the tall grass.
- Nighttime is Prime Time: Golden bugs glow. While you can find them during the day, they are exponentially easier to spot at night when the contrast against the environment is higher.
- Use the Gale Boomerang: Do not try to catch the flying bugs with just the net unless you want a headache. Target them with the boomerang; it’s a guaranteed catch every time.
- Check the Map: The game actually marks which provinces have bugs you haven't caught yet. Use that sub-menu. It saves you from wandering around the desert when the bug you're missing is actually in the woods.
Tracking these down is a slog, but it's one of the most rewarding collection quests in the Zelda franchise because the upgrades actually matter. You aren't just collecting for a trophy; you're collecting so you can actually afford the endgame gear. Grab your boomerang and get to work.