Catch Bugs Beginner Guide
New to Catch Bugs? This beginner guide walks you from your first catch in the Grasslands to your first Royal Net (76,000 cash) and your first Secret Tomb run. Catch Bugs is a tycoon, not a shooter — most of your progress comes from the vivarium and net order, not from grinding harder. Follow the route below in order and you will avoid every common new-player mistake.
Catch Bugs day-1 checklist
- Catch everything you see in the Grasslands. Common bugs are still cash. Do not waste your starter net on positioning — just net every spawn.
- Slot your first rare bug in the vivarium. The vivarium pays you offline cash; selling rares early is the #1 new-player mistake.
- Sell duplicates only. If you already have one of a species in the vivarium, sell future copies for cash.
- Buy the Fast Net at 8,000 cash. The starter net caps your swing speed; the Fast Net is the cheapest jump in the entire net order.
- Open Crawlwood. The Fast Net is enough to clear Crawlwood spawns, and Crawlwood is where you start banking exotic bugs.
Catch Bugs early-game route — Fast Net to Royal Net
Once you're in Crawlwood the goal is the Royal Net at 76,000 cash. The Royal Net is the second-cheapest net upgrade and unlocks Moon Hollow comfortably. Most new players see Bone Net videos and try to skip ahead — don't. Royal Net first.
- Use the Fast Net to clear Crawlwood and stockpile rare and exotic species.
- Slot any new rare or exotic bugs into the vivarium before selling them.
- When you hit 76,000 cash, immediately upgrade to the Royal Net.
- Push into Moon Hollow at night to start hunting the Crescent Wing Butterfly — one of the three Secret Tomb keys.
Catch Bugs mid-game — caves, Dune Burrow, Secret Tomb
With the Royal Net online, the route opens up. The mid-game is about banking the three Secret Tomb keys and growing the vivarium so it pays your endgame net upgrades for you.
- Crescent Wing Butterfly — Moon Hollow, after 6:30 PM. Slot it in the vivarium.
- Wasp Moth — Deeproot Caves. Bring a torch lure for visibility.
- Spiny Harvestman — Dune Burrow. Patrol burrow entrances at dusk.
- Carry all three at once and walk into the rocky tunnel between the Potion Traders and the waterfall in Dune Burrow — that is the Secret Tomb entrance.
- Inside, talk to Anpu to buy the Bone Net (200,000,000 cash).
Full walkthrough: Catch Bugs Secret Tomb guide.
Catch Bugs late-game — Scorpion Net, Desert, Zenith and Supreme
Late-game splits into two grinds: pushing the Scorpion Net (250,000,000) for raw strength, and pushing the April-2026 Desert biome with the new Demon, Nuclear, Black Hole and Dark Matter nets for Zenith and Supreme bugs.
- Most endgame players keep both Bone Net and Scorpion Net — Bone for luck during cave runs, Scorpion for big-bug captures.
- Stack the weather event with a matching lure (Sandstorm, Solar) before chasing Zenith or Supreme rolls.
- Use the Rune system added in April 2026 to multiply mutation odds.
Catch Bugs beginner FAQ
How do I unlock the Secret Tomb in Catch Bugs?
Carry three specific bugs at the same time — Crescent Wing Butterfly (Moon Hollow, after 6:30 PM), Wasp Moth (Deeproot Caves), and Spiny Harvestman (Dune Burrow) — then walk into the rocky tunnel between the Potion Traders and the waterfall in Dune Burrow. Inside, talk to Anpu to buy the Bone Net for 200,000,000 cash.
What is the best net in Catch Bugs?
It depends on the goal. Scorpion Net (250,000,000 cash) is the highest strength and weight capacity for hunting big bugs. Bone Net (200,000,000, sold by Anpu inside the Secret Tomb) trades raw strength for roughly 1,877 more luck — better for chasing rare and elusive spawns inside the Secret Tomb and the cave biomes.
How does offline cash work in Catch Bugs?
Every bug placed in your vivarium produces cash automatically while you are online and offline. The rarer the bug, the higher the income, and upgrading the vivarium increases slot count and the global multiplier. Always slot at least one rare or exotic bug before selling it.
Still need data? Open the full bug list, the all-locations guide, or the codes status page.