Where you find insects in Fallout 76 depends on what you need. For the Pioneer Scout quest Stings and Things, the Pip-Boy map is the most dependable guide, because Bethesda marks possible locations for every part the quest requests. For individual species such as cave crickets, bloodbugs and stingwings, community wiki pages list named spots where players report those creatures appearing. Those lists are useful starting points, not guaranteed spawns.
Choose the right route for your goal
Each insect task draws on a different kind of source, and the level of certainty differs between them. The table below sets out what each source can and cannot promise.
| Your goal | Best source for locations | How firm the location is | What you do with the insect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stings and Things quest parts (Bloatfly Gland, Bloodbug Proboscis, Radroach Meat, Stingwing Barb, Tick Blood Sac) | Pip-Boy map markers set by the quest, per Bethesda Support’s article “The Order of the Tadpole” Quest – Fallout 76 | Bethesda says the map marks possible locations, so markers point to likely areas rather than fixed spawns | Collect the part and hand it to Treadly |
| Cave crickets | Community wiki location pages | Reported spots; spawns can vary by player and server | Kill or photograph for a Tadpole challenge, depending on your objective |
| Bloodbugs | Community wiki location pages | Reported spots; spawns can vary by player and server | Kill for parts or a Tadpole photo |
| Stingwings | Community wiki location pages | Reported spots; spawns can vary by player and server | Kill for parts or a Tadpole photo |
| Bloatflies, radroaches, ticks | Quest markers only | No sourced location lists for these species in this guide | Quest parts or Tadpole photos |
Stings and Things: collecting the five quest parts
Stings and Things is the repeatable Pioneer Scout quest that asks for five insect parts. Follow these steps in order.
- Talk to Pioneer Scout Leader Treadly and select the repeatable quest in your Pip-Boy.
- Open the Pip-Boy map. The quest places markers over possible locations for each requested part.
- Collect all five parts: a Bloatfly Gland, a Bloodbug Proboscis, Radroach Meat, a Stingwing Barb and a Tick Blood Sac.
- Keep the parts in your inventory until you return to Treadly. Bethesda warns that scrapping or cooking a collected part before delivery means you will have to gather it again.
- Return all five parts to Treadly to complete the quest.
Bethesda’s wording is that the parts can be collected “from anywhere on the map,” so you are not limited to a single area. The markers are a guide to where the insects have appeared, and they do not guarantee every creature will be in the marked spot at the time you arrive.
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Where to find cave crickets
Community wiki pages list the following cave cricket locations, starting with the three most commonly listed:
- Tanagra Town
- Carleton Mine
- The Deep
Other reported spots include Lucky Hole Mine, Uncanny Caverns, an area west of Watoga, the lake southeast of Harpers Ferry, workshops under attack, and Shining Creek Cavern. Several of these are underground, so expect cave access and some travel.
Where to find bloodbugs
The community wiki’s bloodbug page lists these spots:
- Southhampton Estate
- Bastion Park
- Dent & Sons Construction
- Spruce Knob Campground
- The bridge into Point Pleasant
- Makeout Point
- New River Gorge Bridge
Where to find stingwings
The community wiki’s stingwing page lists these standard spots:
Rank #3
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- A pond southeast of Big B’s Rest Stop and northeast of Treetops
- The small white maintenance building at Whitespring Resort
- Bleeding Kate’s Grindhouse
- Beckwith farm
- Old Mold Quarry
The same page also lists corrosive stingwing areas. These variants are unnecessary unless a task specifically asks for them, so ignore them for the Stings and Things Stingwing Barb or a standard photo challenge.
Insect photos for Tadpole challenges
Bethesda’s official Tadpole challenge list names these camera targets: Bloatfly, Bloodbug, Cave Cricket, Firefly, Honey Beast, Radroach, Radscorpion, Stingwing and Tick. Not every target is an insect. Radscorpions are arachnids, so a photo of one will not count toward an insect-only objective. Each badge has its own list of objectives, so open the Tadpole challenge screen in the in-game menu and check the exact targets for the badge you are working on before you travel.
Rank #4
Infestations are different
Bethesda’s June 2026 Infestations notes state that the map shows only a general area for an infestation, and players must explore to find the exact location. This applies to Infestations only. It does not mean ordinary insect spawns now work the same way, so the location lists above still apply to regular play.
When an expected insect is missing
- Recheck the quest or challenge screen. Objectives and markers can change with game updates.
- Try a different server. Spawns depend on server state, so a spot that was empty on one server may have creatures on another.
- Check the next location on the list instead of waiting in one place. Many spots are reported for several species, and nearby stops can give you a fresh chance.
- Do not scrap or cook quest parts while the quest is active. Losing a part means collecting it again.
Community location lists were not accompanied by spawn rates or counts in the sources reviewed for this guide, so no route here can be described as reliable in a measured sense. Treat each spot as a good place to look, and expect to search several.
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