We’ve written about Dinkum recently as the alternative game of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This time instead of a peaceful idyllic island you’re in the Australian outback full of bugs and critters. Explore the lush eucalyptus forests, the deserts and swampy billabongs.
Catching bugs and critters in Dinkum is one of the game’s core mechanics and a great way to make some extra money. However, finding and catching them is not as easy as you think as they spawn in some specific areas and times. In this guide, we’ll go through all the basics of catching the 40 different bugs and 19 different critters in Dinkum.
How To Start Catching Bugs
Bug catching is one of the first skills you can acquire in Dinkum. Once John comes to the island you’ll need to buy a net from him, which you can do when he’s set up in the tent or once he opens his store. You can buy the Net from John for 1100 Dinks.
Armed with your net, you can now catch any bug you come across! You’ll just need to get to the square behind your chosen bug and swing your net. Don’t worry if you miss it because the bugs won’t disappear if you do!
All The Bugs In Dinkum
| Bug Name | Location | Time and Season |
|---|---|---|
| Bee | The pine forests and the plains | Daytime – Summer/Spring |
| Black Cricket | Everywhere | Evening – All Seasons |
| Blue Moon Butterfly | Everywhere | Morning/Day – All Seasons |
| Bogong Moth | Everywhere | Evening – All Seasons |
| Cockroach | Everywhere | Evening – All Seasons |
| Common Blue Tail | The pine forests and the tropics | Morning/Day – Autumn/Winter |
| Cricket | The plains and the bushlands | Evening – All Seasons |
| Desert Scorpion | The desert | Morning/Day/Evening – Autumn/Winter |
| Fly | Everywhere | Morning/Day – All Seasons |
| Firefly | Everywhere | Evening – All Seasons |
| Funnel Web Spider | The bushlands | Day/Evening – Spring/Summer |
| Harlequin Butterfly | Everywhere | Morning/Day – All Seasons |
| Huntsman | The desert and the bushlands | Day/Evening – Autumn/Winter |
| Lacewing | The pine forests and the plains | Day – Spring/Summer |
| Largidae | Everywhere | Day – All Seasons |
| Meadow Katydid | The plains | Morning/Day – Spring/Autumn |
| Peacock Spider | The bushlands and the tropics | Morning – Autumn/Winter |
| Pygmyfly | The desert and the plains | Day – All Seasons |
| Queen Bee | The pine forests and the plains | Morning – Spring/Summer |
| Red Back Spider | The desert | Day/Evening – Spring/Summer/Autumn |
| Rhinoceros Beetle | The bushlands and the pine forests | Morning – Autumn/Winter |
| Scarlet Jezebel Butterfly | Everywhere | Day – All Seasons |
| Stink Bug | Everywhere | Morning/Day/Evening – Autumn |
| Swallow-tail Butterfly | The tropics | Day – Summer/Autumn |
| Tau Emerald Dragonfly | The plains and the bushlands | Day – Summer/Autumn |
| Ulysses Butterfly | The bushlands | Morning/Day – Spring/Summer |
What’s A Critter?
Critters are any small creatures that you can snag when diving underwater. They’re not fish and cannot be caught by use of the Fishing Pole. You’ll need to physically get in the water and dive, even if the critter is just on the square next to you.
To catch a critter, you simply need to grab them under the water. However, finding them is not an easy task as you may encounter dangerous animals such as the deadly crocodiles and sharks. Be aware of your surroundings if you’re planning to dive.
There are a total of 19 different critters to find in Dinkum throughout the seasons.
All The Critters In Dinkum
| Critter Name | Location | Time and Season |
|---|---|---|
| Bay Bug | Everywhere | Morning/Day/Evening – All Seasons |
| Biscuit Sea Star | Northern oceans and southern oceans | Morning/Day/Evening – All Seasons |
| Blue Mussel | Northern oceans and southern oceans | Morning/Day/Evening – All Seasons |
| Fresh Water Mussel | Rivers | Morning/Day/Evening – All Seasons |
| Inland Crab | Rivers | Morning/Day/Evening – All Seasons |
| Pink Sea Urchin | Northern oceans and southern oceans | Morning/Day/Evening – All Seasons |
| Purple Mottled Crab | Northern oceans and southern oceans | Morning/Day/Evening – Summer |
| Spiny Sea Urchin | Northern oceans and southern oceans | Morning/Day/Evening – All Seasons |
| Tiger Prawn | Northern oceans and southern oceans | Morning/Day/Evening – All Seasons |
| White Yabbie | Rivers | Morning/Day/Evening – All Seasons |
| Yabbie | Everywhere | Morning/Day/Evening – All Seasons |
DINKUM
Dinkum is out now early access for PC on Steam. It will be coming to other platforms later but that has yet to be announced. For our full review of Dinkum be sure to read it here! And for our complete fishing and fish guide in Dinkum, you can check it out here.