Evergreen
Bug Type in Pokémon GO
Bug-type Pokémon in Pokémon GO: what Bug is strong against, weak to and resists, its weather boost, well-known examples and practical tips.
Bug is an average defensive type, but as an attacker it's held back by seven separate not-very-effective matchups, tied with Grass for the most on the chart. Where it shines is against Grass, Psychic and Dark, three types that don't have many other common counters.
Bug type matchups
Bug's type chart lists look modest, three types each way, but the list of types that resist Bug attacks (Fire, Fighting, Poison, Flying, Ghost, Steel, Fairy) is what defines how it plays.
Bug is strong against
Bug is weak to
Bug resists
- Grass — damage reduced to 0.625×
- Fighting — damage reduced to 0.625×
- Ground — damage reduced to 0.625×
Weather boost
Rainy weather boosts Bug-types, along with Water and Electric. Rain is when wild Bug-types show up at higher levels and when a Bug-type attacker gets its small damage bonus; see the weather boosts page.
Well-known Bug-type Pokémon
Bug-types with a following among trainers:
- Scizor
- Heracross
- Pinsir
- Volcarona
- Butterfree
Practical GO tips
- Bug-type attackers are a good niche pick against Grass, Psychic and Dark-type raid bosses.
- Bug-type moves are only not very effective against a long list of types (Fire, Fighting, Poison, Flying, Ghost, Steel, Fairy), so a Bug-type attacker rewards checking the matchup first.
- Grass/Psychic Pokémon such as Exeggutor and Dark/Psychic Pokémon such as Malamar take 2.56× from Bug moves, the rare matchups where Bug is the best attacking type available.
Bug-types' biggest asset is often their second type: Scizor's Steel typing or Heracross's Fighting typing gives them the coverage that pure Bug lacks, so treat the pair of types as a unit.
To beat a Bug-type, Fire, Flying and Rock attackers get the 1.6× bonus, and Fire and Flying both resist Bug's attacks as well.
FAQ
Is any Bug-type worth powering up for raids?
Yes, when the target is a Grass, Psychic or Dark boss: several Bug-types carry strong Bug-type charged moves and hit those matchups for 1.6×. Outside those three, a Bug-type usually only earns a raid slot through its second type.
Keep exploring
The types hub has every other type and the type chart has every value. Many Bug-types are quick to evolve, which makes them useful for XP; our core mechanics guide covers candy and evolving. The database hub and Trainer Hub homepage link to the rest.