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Animal Crossing has a history of making bugs only available in certain seasons (and during different seasons based on the hemisphere), meaning players have to wait patiently or time travel to get the chance to catch them. Not only does this make certain bugs pretty desirable as collectibles, but it also makes for several of them to be the most expensive bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Updated August 10th, 2022, by Ericka Blye: For players in the Northern Hemisphere, Summer can be a very lucrative time as most of the most expensive bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons are available during this season. The last Bug-Off of the Summer is August 27 and while the event is fun on its own, and players can get tons of items that are exclusive to the event, there’s also an added bonus. During the Bug-Off Flick will buy bugs for 1.5x the normal price. This makes the most valuable bugs worth the effort to catch and makes a few other bugs more valuable.

12 Rainbow Stag - 6000 Bells

The Rainbow Stag is a bug that will only spawn after a player catches 50 bugs. It isn’t as rare as some of Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ most expensive bugs, but with it worth 6000 bells, it is a bug that’s worth being on the lookout for.

It can only be found from June through September in the Northern hemisphere. The Rainbow Stag can be caught between the hours of 7 PM to 8 AM. Rainbow Stags can be found on any type of tree and during any type of weather. If a player catches one during the Bug Off, it can be sold for 9000 bells to Flick instead of its usual 6000.

11 Tarantula - 8000 Bells

People new to the series found out just how terrifying tarantulas are in Animal Crossing with New Horizons. These tiny terrors are one of the few truly “aggressive” creatures in the game as they will chase players around if they see one holding a net.

They’re also worth a lot of bells, making the risk of hunting them rewarding, and making the Mystery Island “Tarantula Island” one of the most sought after. They only come out at night from 7 PM to 4 AM and are available from December through April in the Northern hemisphere. Flick will purchase one from a player for 12,000 bells.

10 Scorpion - 8000 Bells

For players in the Northern Hemisphere, scorpions are still around to both terrorize villagers and players alike and score them a nice amount of bells. They stick around from May to October, unless a player decides to time travel.

Just like tarantulas, they are also very aggressive and will chase and attack a player. They can be found only at night from 7 PM to 4 AM. If sold to Flick he’ll offer the player 12,000 bells for one.

9 Goliath Beetle - 8000 Bells

As the name suggests, Goliath Beetles are one of the biggest bugs to catch in the game, and are the largest beetles in the world, in real life. In the Northern hemisphere, they only appear in Summer, from June to September, and can be found on the side of palm trees from 5 PM to 8 AM.

In previous games, they were one of the easier palm tree beetles to catch as they weren’t as skittish as the others. Goliath Beetles will only spawn after a player has caught 100 bugs. Selling them to Flick, players can get 12,000 bells per bug.

8 Cyclommatus Stag - 8000 Bells

The Cyclommatus Stag was first introduced in Animal Crossing: City Folk. They appear on the side of coconut trees and are also only unlocked after catching 100 bugs. August is the last month to be able to catch these beetles as they are only around from July through August, in the Northern hemisphere.

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When prompted to learn more about the Cyclommatus Stag, Blathers will reveal that its color and round eyes make it a very loved beetle among bug enthusiasts. They can be caught between 5 PM and 8 AM and Flick will buy them for 12,000 bells.

7 Horned Atlas - 8000 Bells

The Horned Atlas first appeared in Animal Crossing: Wild World, under the name Atlas Beetle, until it was changed to Horned Atlas in New Leaf. It is another bug that has to be unlocked and arrives in July, sticking around only through August.

You can find the Horned Atlas on the side of trees from 5 PM to 8 AM. Players can find them out in any type of weather. Flick will buy one of these beetles for 12,000 bells.

6 Horned Elephant - 8000 Bells

The Horned Elephant, originally known as the Elephant Beetle, made its first appearance in Wild World. It’s considered to be a rare bug, though it’s one of the more commonly found rare bugs. You can find them on the sides of trees starting July through August in the North.

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It’s another bug that has to be unlocked and it appears at night from 5 PM to 8 AM. Players can sell a Horned Elephant to Flick for 12,000 bells.

5 Scarab Beetle - 10,000 Bells

Probably one of the prettiest bugs in the game, the Scarab Beetle is also one of the most valuable bugs in New Horizons. This “golden” beetle used to only sell for 6000 Bells but has become a much more worthwhile prize for bug hunters.

It’s only available in July and August and though it only takes catching 50 bugs to unlock it, it has a shorter window of active hours than most other bugs, from 11 PM to 8 AM. It can be found on the side of trees. The scarab in the series is based on the ones found in South America rather than the ones found in Egypt and depicted in Ancient Egyptian culture. Flick will happily purchase this bug for 15,000 bells.

4 Giant Stag - 10,000 Bells

The Giant Stag has been a bug in the Animal Crossing series since the beginning and has always been pretty rare and valuable. It used to be called a Giant Beetle until New Leaf and is only available during July and August.

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Like the Scarab beetle, it has a shorter window of availability, as it can only be caught from 11 PM to 8 AM. Their value in the game is a reflection of their value in real life, as Giant Stag beetles are caught and sold as prized collectibles in Japan, worth thousands of dollars. Flick will also purchase this bug for 15,000 bells.

3 Giraffe Stag - 12,000 Bells

The Giraffe Stag is a new bug that came with New Horizons and is one of the most valuable bugs in the game, tying with the Golden Stag and the Horned Hercules.

It’s available in only July and August from 5 PM to 8 AM and you can find them on the sides of palm trees. It gets its name from its huge jaws and it’s considered to be one of the largest stag beetles in the world. Flick will pay a hefty 18,000 bells for just one of these bugs.

2 Horned Hercules - 12,000 Bells

The Horned Hercules was first introduced in the Japan-exclusive Animal Forest e+. It is a rare bug with one of the highest values in the series. Originally, it was only found on the Private Island in Animal Forest e+ on fruit trees until, Wild World where it can now be found on palm trees.

The Horned Hercules is available from July to August and only between 5 PM to 8 AM. In New Leaf, the Horned Hercules, Golden Stag, and Scarab Beetle are considered to be the hardest bugs to catch with the sneak feature the game introduced. Players can sell this expensive bug to Flick for 18,000 bells.

1 Golden Stag - 12,000 Bells

Not only is the Golden Stag a pretty rare bug, but it’s another bug that will only spawn after players meet a certain condition. Players have to catch 100 bugs in total before the Golden Stag will start to spawn. They can only be found during July and August in the Northern Hemisphere from 5 PM to 8 PM.

They will be located on palm trees and can be found in any weather. The Golden Stag is the same price as the Giraffe Stag and the Horned Hercules. The best chance a player has to catch one is to approach it as slowly as they can. Like the Horned Hercules and Giraffe Stag, Flick will give the player 18,000 bells if they sell him one.

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