Dozens of insect species thrive in captivity, and many require surprisingly little space, money, or experience to keep. The best pet insects for most people fall into a handful of groups: stick insects, hissing cockroaches, mantises, beetles, ants, crickets, and isopods (technically crustaceans, but sold alongside insects and kept the same way). Each offers something different, from the slow-motion camouflage of a stick insect to the complex social behavior of an ant colony.
Stick Insects
Stick insects are among the most popular pet insects worldwide, and for good reason. They’re docile, easy to handle, and fascinating to watch as they sway gently on a branch, mimicking a twig. Several species are widely available, including the spiny leaf insect, the children’s stick insect, the goliath stick insect, and the margin-winged stick insect. None of these require specialized care beyond fresh foliage and a tall, ventilated enclosure.
Feeding is straightforward. Most commonly kept species eat eucalyptus leaves, but if you don’t have access to eucalyptus, some species (like the spiny leaf insect) also accept rose and raspberry leaves. A few are specialists: the peppermint stick insect, for instance, only eats screw pine leaves. Before buying, confirm what your chosen species eats and whether you can reliably source that plant. A mesh or screen enclosure taller than it is wide works best, since stick insects prefer to climb and hang upside down while molting.
Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches
If the word “cockroach” makes you hesitate, these insects tend to change people’s minds quickly. Madagascar hissing cockroaches grow 2 to 3 inches long, don’t fly, don’t bite, and produce a distinctive hissing sound by pushing air through small openings on their abdomen. They can live up to 5 years in captivity, which is exceptionally long for a pet insect.
Their care is minimal. A 10-gallon tank with a secure lid, a few inches of coconut fiber or similar substrate, some bark or egg carton for hiding spots, and a shallow water dish is the entire setup. They eat fruit scraps, vegetables, and dry dog food. The one requirement worth noting: like tropical fish, they need warmth year-round. A small heating pad under one side of the tank keeps them comfortable during colder months. They’re social and do well in groups, so keeping three or four together makes for a more active, interesting display.
Praying Mantises
Mantises are the predators of the pet insect world. Watching one track, stalk, and strike a cricket is genuinely dramatic. They’re alert, curious, and will turn their triangular heads to follow your movements, which gives them a personality most insects lack. The Smithsonian Institution lists praying mantises among the most practical insect pets.
Most keepers house a single mantis in a small mesh or acrylic enclosure (roughly three times the insect’s body length in height). They eat live prey: crickets, fruit flies, and mealworms are the standard options. Each feeder insect has a slightly different nutritional profile, so offering variety is ideal. “Gut-loading” the prey (feeding the crickets nutritious food before offering them to your mantis) passes those nutrients along. Mantises typically live about a year, sometimes a bit longer depending on species and conditions. They’re best kept alone, since they will eat each other.
Beetles
Beetles offer two very different pet experiences depending on the species. If you want a long-lived, low-maintenance companion, the blue death-feigning beetle is hard to beat. Native to the American Southwest, it plays dead when disturbed (rolling onto its back and freezing) and can live up to 8 years in captivity. It thrives in a dry setup with sand substrate, needs no supplemental humidity, and eats bits of fruit and vegetables. Groups of five or more do well together in a small tank.
If you want to watch a dramatic life cycle unfold, rhinoceros and Hercules beetles are the way to go. Eastern Hercules beetles go through complete metamorphosis: eggs hatch in about a month, and larvae spend 6 months to a full year living underground, growing and molting twice before pupating. Adults emerge from pupae after just a few weeks. Raising one from larva to adult is a rewarding long-term project, though it requires patience and a deep container of rotting hardwood substrate for the grubs to feed on.
Ant Colonies
Keeping ants isn’t quite like keeping other insects. You’re managing a living society, not an individual animal. Modern ant farms (called formicariums) are clear acrylic or plaster nests connected to a foraging area, and watching a colony dig tunnels, tend brood, and organize their labor is endlessly absorbing.
Three species work well for beginners. Black garden ants are the easiest: they adapt to almost any setup, require minimal special care, and are docile and fun to observe. Silky ants prefer slightly cooler temperatures and have simple dietary needs, making them another low-stress option. Carpenter ants are larger and require a bit more space, but their size makes their behavior easier to see and their wood-based habitat preferences can be replicated in a home setup.
The real challenges with ants are practical. Mold can develop in the humid environment a colony needs, so regular cleaning and good ventilation matter. Escapees are the other concern: barriers like fluon or talcum powder painted around enclosure openings prevent scouts from exploring your kitchen. Colonies also grow slowly at first, since you typically start with a single queen and a handful of workers, then wait weeks or months for the population to build. That slow ramp-up is part of the appeal for people who enjoy the long game.
Isopods
Isopods (pill bugs and their relatives) have exploded in popularity in recent years, partly because they come in a huge range of colors and patterns. Zebra pillbugs have bold black-and-white striping. Clown isopods sport striking orange markings. Dalmatian isopods look exactly like you’d expect. Spanish orange and chocolate morphs round out a hobby that sometimes feels more like collecting than pet-keeping.
The most commonly kept groups are species from the Porcellio, Armadillidium, and dwarf categories (including dwarf whites and dwarf purples). All prefer temperatures between 70 and 85°F and humidity above 55%. A basic enclosure needs at least a couple inches of substrate mixed with decomposed leaf litter, with one end kept slightly drier than the other so the isopods can move to their preferred moisture level. Keeping conditions a bit extra moist (above 75% relative humidity) when you first set up a colony helps them acclimate and reproduce. Isopods eat decaying plant material, vegetable scraps, and calcium-rich supplements like cuttlebone, which they need for their exoskeletons.
Beyond their appeal as standalone pets, isopods serve a practical function in bioactive terrariums for reptiles and amphibians. They break down waste and decaying plant material, acting as a living cleanup crew.
Crickets and Caterpillars
Field crickets are one of the simplest insect pets, particularly for children. They’re free to catch in most backyards during warm months, eat scraps of fruit and cereal, and produce their familiar chirping song by rubbing their wings together. A jar or small container with ventilation holes, a damp paper towel for moisture, and a crumpled piece of egg carton for shelter is the whole setup. Their lifespan is short (a few months at most), which can be a plus if you’re testing whether insect-keeping is for you.
Caterpillars offer a different kind of payoff. Raising a caterpillar through pupation to watch a butterfly or moth emerge is one of the most rewarding beginner insect projects. Monarch caterpillars on milkweed and painted lady caterpillars (available in kits) are the most common choices. The commitment is short, usually a few weeks from caterpillar to adult, and the metamorphosis is genuinely spectacular to witness.
Legal Considerations
Before ordering any insect online, check whether it’s legal to keep in your area. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service requires permits for interstate movement of certain plant pests, and specific insects like butterflies and moths used in educational programs or public displays fall under federal regulation. Some states have their own restrictions on non-native species. Stick insects, for example, are regulated in parts of the United States because escaped individuals could damage native plants. Domestic quarantine notices published by APHIS list current federal rules on moving specific organisms across state lines. A quick check before purchasing saves you from confiscation or fines.