Picture Insect: Bug Identifier Reviews

by Buggy Bud

Okay okay, I really love bugs and animals and I wanted an app that would help identify them so I got this one because the other one was not free (it is called insect identification) and it worked very well, but I could only use it one time (because it lets you used it one time before if makes you buy it) so I went back on PictureInsect Store and got this one so I could identify bugs for free. I was looking forward to it, so I tested it by going through my camera roll and choosing a flea, it did it’s thing and when it loaded it said it was a— Lesser Stripedtail scorpion??!!!! ( look up what they are if you don’t know, they are called Lesser Stripedtail scorpion and a flea)
So then I tested different bugs and — it was all wrong. The only one it got right was the crane fly (Mosquito hawk). So that is why I thing you should NOT get PictureInsect, and thanks for reading till the end I really needed to talk/rant about PictureInsect.

by Snagtrees

Update- PictureInsect doesn’t work anymore. It says “reconnected” and then goes right to a white screen. I’ve tried to delete it and redownload and it still doesn’t work. For 20$ a year, it’s disappointing.

PictureInsect is pretty good. It makes accurate identifications most of the time, and has a lot of great info about the ID’d insect. It also gives several options of IDs in case the first is not spot on. This is a great feature.

The reason is gets 3 out of 5 stars is for two reasons.

1) When you upload a picture from your library to ID- you have no control over where the scanner will look when it scans it. This is frustrating because it makes it impossible to identify certain t
bugs, and often gives you several wrong identifications. This could be remedied by being able to zoom out on the picture in order to get the full insect into the scanning zone.

2) This is a paid subscription app. It costs 20$ a year- so it is not free as advertised.

If the scanner picture issue is resolved, this is well worth the 20$ a year.

by Thrin4thewin

I tried this on a spider 1/2 inch in diameter. It gave me everything from a wood tick (I know what those look like) to several varieties of moth, to a brown rat. Not kidding. A brown rat. I also had to get within a foot of the spider to take a decent photo; zoom wouldn’t work well enough from any further away, even 2 feet, on my iPhone that tends to have excellent zoom capabilities. I tried reporting the inaccurate reading (seriously. Not a rat of any color. Wrong phylum entirely), but that wasn’t an option. I tried putting “spider,” but it wanted me to pick which one. Feeling that to be somewhat defeative of the purpose of downloading PictureInsect to begin with… I gave up. Less than 10 attempts on the same creature, and I’ve blown through my free tries. No reason to think the paid version is any better. No thank you.

by No Patience For Poor Apps

I was initially excited about PictureInsect. I have a large plumeria collection, so want to identify friends and foes, since there are many destructive critters out there.
But, my excitement quickly turned to disappointment when I found that pictures of the same insect were identified as different creatures.
In one photo, it is named a citrus white fly, the next picture, taken seconds later, it’s called a carpet beetle. This was not an isolated event, but happened multiple times.
So, sadly, PictureInsect cannot be relied on for any kind of accurate identification. Hope those who’ve previously reviewed how safe they feel, because they think they can correctly ID venomous spiders and insects realize that this is no more than a random “intelligent” guess.

by MTroutBug

An ok app. Like many ID apps, it will often try to identify to a level not possible from the photo, resulting in misinformation. For example, if I post a photo that is only identifiable to family level, it will always attempt a species ID anyway. As far as accuracy goes, it is hit or miss. I was pleasantly surprised with the accuracy of some ID’s such as a least skipper photo I posted, but it also gets other obvious and distinctive insects such as the Coral hairstreak wrong (I study butterflies so that is largely what I tested). For many insects this probably isn’t a big deal, but it would be best to leave ID’s at a higher taxon level like family or genus if it is just going to make inaccurate species ID’s. It would also be good to have a comment system of sorts since correcting the ID is confusing if the photo isn’t identifiable to species and PictureInsect put the insect in the wrong family or order. Information about the insects themselves is usually fine but some entries are about the wrong organism (Ex: Mormon fritillary description talks about Tortoiseshell butterflies which are in a different genus). I can’t see a reason to use it over other ID apps unless accuracy improves.

by Ppb1367

PictureInsect works well and is extremely helpful to identify the bug. Unfortunately once you identify it, it doesn’t tell you if it is poisonous, or bites or stings. It simply gives you the name and some habitat information. For example, I was trying to identify a spider on our patio that I thought might be dangerous to my children. It was indeed a wolf spider but the entry said nothing about it biting or being poisonous - which of course it is. So you have to look up the insect elsewhere once PictureInsect identifies it in order to gain critical information. This kind of info should be included in PictureInsect .

by PaprikaPhd

We went ahead and immediately paid the $20 a year subscription for PictureInsect . My son is really into bugs, and having some thing that immediately tells you what a bug is while you are out at the park or in the backyard was invaluable. Plus he has a blog where we like to write about the bugs we see every day. So as far is the actual identification part, PictureInsect is very quick and very accurate. It has easily identified every picture we have taken. If I had a criticism, it would be that it doesn’t give you clear useful information about the bug once the bug is identified. It would be nice to have a symbol that shows up immediately indicating whether the bug is dangerous, venomous, etc. Having the scientific name and diet is nice, but not the most useful information when you’re outside.

by Ballz42069yeetyolo

Being someone who grows a lot of food and is a student of environmental science I was excited for PictureInsect.

Pros:
-Easy and aesthetic interface had me identifying insects in no time.
-The first choice they gave me was right 100% of my pictures submitted. They even give a few extra choices just in case.
-Complete scientific name and familiar classification.

Cons:
-Doesn’t really tell you much “regular” information. A lot of my pictures were pest species and no info was given on how to deal with them. Sure I can google it but isn’t that what paying is for?
-Some of the explanations seemed like they came from someone who’s not entirely mastered English. Which isn’t a negative cause they haven’t mastered English. I can infer and figure out what they’re saying. But it’s a scientific app. Kinda something you wanna be exact in your descriptions.

Overall PictureInsect is cool on the surface and helped me ID a lot of different insects. But it lacks real substance with regards to dealing with pests or giving any detailed info on species. I understand it’s difficult given the sheer amount of insects out there. I might keep this till the seven day mark but unsure. Thanks for listening to me blab.

by AuntieEmMoMiMi

This is a very quick, simple to use app with basic information. It is great for a fast identification of an odd creepy crawly, or in my case to have on hand since moving to a semi-tropical island where everything is venomous, poisonous, or straight up trying to scare you to death. (Huntsman spider, I am side eyeing you) This would also be a great resource for a bug crazed kiddo, and keep them entertained for hours.

That said, this is one of those “free” apps that REALLY wants you to sign up for their 20$ a year subscription. Personally I just pushed the X in the corner and I could still use PictureInsect , but maybe the paid for version has more info, better features or other bug stuff.
For me, I just need the ‘Is this going to kill me?’ Question answered quickly, and this does the trick.

by Biosquint

I have only used PictureInsect twice but it worked well both times. I even verified the results with a local extension service website. My only issue is with the information given in the “Learn More” section. In giving the hierarchy of the Burrowing Peanut Bug that was identified it listed this under phylum: ”Arthropoda - Arthropods, Crustaceans, Indris, sifakas, and woolly lemurs.” The last three are not Arthropods but Chordates. A typo? Or maybe this was added to see if anyone was actually reading the information?!
Update to review: I was contacted by the developer and given a better way to correct typos etc. I’m very glad they care enough to look at their reviews! Thanks for a good app and the feedback.

by LimeBalthazar

Came across a large spider. Usually with a few keywords I can get close on Google, but I just couldn’t identify it. I opened PictureInsect, uploaded my photo, and it identified the spider correctly within a few seconds.

It also made some other similar suggestions if I disagreed, so that was cool. Anything you scan gets put in your collection, so it’s a fun way to keep track of what you find.

I like that you can see photos that other people have submitted too, but I wish there was some way to rate them or something so the best pic is shown. Some are far better than others, but it’s a good starting point.

by GaGa4GaGa56849

So sure I’ll try before you buy. So PictureInsect is great. Took the picture and received an instant answer. Wow! Now back to the free trial. Says if you don’t like it, don’t pay for it. When I agreed to the free trial I was charged. Most apps what the 7 days before charging you for the year. Just thought you would like to know. I double checked it was a hold and then a payment. Again PictureInsect looks real nice but when you offer a free trial it should be an actual “ Free Trial”. I would have given 5 stars but because of the not an actual 7 day free trial I gave it “4 stars”.

by Asdfghhjllqwe

As much as I love using PictureInsect and has made bug catching much easier, I wish there was a setting where you could type something like “Beetle” and it would organize all of the beetles you collected. It would make it much easier to re-identify creatures and catalog them, as well as show off your collection to your friends

by Lusnowdrop

Although without buying a subscription, you get many popups, you can easily press “continue with limited version”. I’m considering buying a subscription because I use PictureInsect so often as a gardener! For example, today I was able to identify some green lacewing larvae that were helping my garden rid of aphids. I’ve successfully identified many insects on PictureInsect and it even helped me realize that the butterflies I was finding weren’t painted ladies, but a different species. I really love using this and learning more and more about bugs. I’ve been able to identify so many spiders including crab spiders, orb weavers and a species of harvestmen I didn’t even know existed! PictureInsect also has all ladybug identifications and has helped me identify many different species. I cannot recommend PictureInsect enough.

For those saying PictureInsect doesn’t give enough information about species- you can always look them up and learn more as well as how to deal with pests. (It’s what I do!) I use PictureInsect to get my identifications and then do further research.

I also love how you can look back on all your identifications and pictures you have. It really feels like you have your own little collection made by you.

by Tim's MF Jams

I’ve identified SO many spiders and weird flying bugs. Even some toxic millipedes. Even with fairly terrible pictures sometimes it somehow manages to identify the bugs. Very impressive. I moved to the south and want to know what it is that I’m encountering. I only wish it did a better job explaining the toxicity of bugs/danger level and a level of pain and/or damage inflicted it bitten, stung, etc. I’d really like a better idea of how bothered I need to be about certain bugs.

by Dakota Kitteh

Really fast and accurate identification of insects, truly amazing to me. I just moved to Arkansas, where I’ve come across many different species of insects that are unfamiliar to me.
Because of PictureInsect, it’s become a hobby of mine to keep a collection of all the different spiders I come across. Whenever I see one I haven’t seen before, I get excited and pull up PictureInsect !

Would highly recommend, for people who love bugs, or to anybody trying to figure out what crawled up into their house. 🙂

by Nothappyneedtobefixed

This is a super cool app with just one picture you can know what kind of bug is in or out side of your house. I use PictureInsect all the time. Just today I found a spider in my bathroom and found out that is was a black widow! Which I had never seen before, but thanks to PictureInsect I was about to tell what it was. But the only thing that I will say is I do not have unlimited identifications and it asks all the time for me to purchase it. But other than that I love PictureInsect !

by Love To Learn45

I found a bug that looked like a spider I’d never seen before making a home on the trampoline net. I didn’t want to disturb it, but wanted to make sure it wasn’t poisonous. I searched the internet with a description of the bug but couldn’t get results with a picture that matched. Then I found PictureInsect. I took a picture, submitted it, and in seconds PictureInsect accurately provided a picture and information about the bug. Turns out it’s an assassin bug. After a google search of the name I found that the bug isn’t as dangerous as the name sounds; well, at least to humans.

by Grapes, Lemons And Limes

When I was younger, I was playing with my friends in a field behind our houses, and at the edge of this field was a forest. It was late at night, and it was really dark. Then one of us noticed a huge moth on a leaf. One of my friends, who had brought along a camera, took a picture of the moth. It was pretty blurry, but you could tell it was a moth. We all had no idea what kind of moth it was, and I just recently found the picture again. I decided to find out what kind of moth it was, so I downloaded PictureInsect to see if it would work. I thought it might not recognize the moth, since it was so blurry. But to my surprise, the first result was the exact moth in the picture! Thank you so much, I definitely recommend PictureInsect!

by Brackett84

As far as making an app to identify a bug just by taking a picture of it.. does it get anymore convenient? I HATE spiders but I just moved to an area that’s by a forest and see these big spiders marching around the house. Pretty much just wanting to see what is or isn’t poisonous and the fact PictureInsect can pretty much identify most insect even by uploading a pic is...5 stars worthy.
It gives a lot of info but there are specific answers I want to know and it would be nice if it provided a little bit more info about the insects, if they can harm your animals or family/friends, and/or how common they are, what attracts them, how to handle them, etc. That would make it more interesting and provide more than sufficient information that I think most people would be curious to know. I’m using the free trial and may try the full version to see if it provides more features. Brilliant!

by Free Trial Is A Scam

I tried PictureInsect to identify a tick, and it did no better than what I was able to do myself based on internet photos. Now I’m trying to cancel within the 1-week free trial period to avoid being billed $20 for an annual subscription - and there’s no way to cancel! No option in PictureInsect , no way to contact developer (who is in China), and it’s not showing up in my Apple account subscriptions or purchase history. Trying to contact Apple for help.

DON’T GET PictureInsect!

by Flmom12378

I wish you could adjust the frame when submitting a photo from the album. Makes it almost impossible to use a picture you’ve already taken bc it cuts off the picture of the insect. Have to take a picture in real time through PictureInsect . That’s not always reasonable given we taking picture of insects.

by 222222222222222222222322232

I took a picture of the bug, and PictureInsect came up with four suggestions, none with pictures. I tried to copy the genus and species (long scientific names) so that I could search them in Wikipedia, but PictureInsect has no select and copy functions. So, my only recourse is to write down the scientific name for each possible bug, and independently search for them in the web. Not helpful.

by CoolbugsX

This is a useful app that helped me identify a transverse flower fly today after my previous web searches and guide books failed. It requires a careful evaluation of the supplied photos to get to the identification and then additional online verification. However it failed entirely to identify a Tachinidae fly that I uploaded to the site giving a list of incorrect possible outcomes. I will use this as an adjunct and not as being definitive.

by Ataphelion

I’m an insect lover and decided to use PictureInsect to identify a little bug in our home. It wasn’t even a decent picture but the results were accurate (it was a long-necked seed bug)! I think it’s also nice that the developers are actively trying to make PictureInsect as good as it can be by listening to their reviews. Overall, I’m pretty happy with PictureInsect and I have a lot of faith in it.

by Annhill2011

My daughter found a caterpillar in our yard that I couldn’t find out what kind it was. I searched with proper terms on google an zero luck! I decided to look in the AppStore for an app that could help and found this. Once I took a full body picture of the caterpillar it was able to identify it properly straight away! The caterpillar turned out to be a Pink Striped Oakworm Moth.

Don’t hesitate, get PictureInsect- 5 stars!!!

by Deplorable John

Originally found app didn’t work in iOS 12.4. Developer immediately fixed the issue. Remarkable. Oh. PictureInsect works very well. Only one issue...would like to see PictureInsect provide a link to more information about each find including common names. Look at PlantÑet app for example. Nice job you guys!

by Luci6505

I was searching up an insect online for at least one hour and thought of taking pictures for identification. I found PictureInsect and another that had higher ratings. The higher rating app had more users, but it could not identify the insect I found. PictureInsect, on the other hand, could. I felt extremely relieved when I finally found out what the insect was (Anisomorpha Buprestoides aka Southern two-striped walkingstick).

by Charlie Gamer V

Originally I thought this was a fake but it actually works! I had this weird bug on my porch I didn’t know what it was, turns out it’s a mayfly. For years I’ve wondered what that was. All the other bug find your abs costed like 5 bucks but this one costed zero. I am so glad that they made an app for this.

by MamaWolf Gen

PictureInsect is perfect! It used the photo I took and not only gave me a list of species that look similar to my photo, but also gave me the correct specie right at the top!! Tho there are a lot of photos missing, it limits the suggestions to just a few so it makes looking them up easier! The only thing I would suggest for PictureInsect to be absolutely perfect is to allow users to add the correct photo of the insect where photos are unavailable. 😇

by Camp Elias

I think that PictureInsect is amazing. It is 99.9% accurate the only time it’s not accurate is when the picture is blurry. Either than that it is amazing. This is probably one of the best bug identification apps I’ve ever used and I’ve used a lot.

by Cruiser Catcher

This is definately the coolest app I’ve seen in awhile. Useful and educational. I’m outside with my kids rurning over rocks looking for little cruisers to take pics of. Love it! Kids love it! Wife hates that her garden and flower beds are getting so much foot traffic.

by JCast Prod

It’s very accurate. Make sure your bug is clear and takes up the whole frame of the picture for it to recognize

by Naturelove80

I’m using PictureInsect to do my bug collection and it’s working perfectly! It’s giving awesome info the only botherment there is camera focus but that’s not the apps problem but this will help so many bug watchers find out what there watching thanks for making this... I’m telling if u use this it’s AWESOME for what u need
-Naturelove80 🐺🌺💚🐾