Bug type Bug Type Top 30 Updated

Best Bug Attackers — Pokemon GO

Top 30 Bug-type raid attackers ranked by DPS with best movesets and tier rankings.

Super effective vs: Dark type Dark Grass type Grass Psychic type Psychic

The Bug-type attacker tier list ranks the top 30 Pokemon by raid DPS in 2026. Use Bug-type attackers against Dark, Grass, Psychic-type raid bosses. Shadow Pokemon deal 20% more damage, while Mega evolutions boost the entire raid team.

Rankings are calculated by simulating every possible fast and charged move combination for each Pokemon at level 40 against a generic Tier 5 raid boss. We measure DPS (Damage Per Second), TDO (Total Damage Output before fainting), and eDPS (a composite metric that balances raw damage with survivability). The final ranking weighs type-specific DPS at 70% and overall DPS at 30%, so Pokemon with strong same-type moves are prioritized while off-type coverage is still rewarded.

How We Calculate Raid DPS Rankings

Our raid attacker rankings simulate actual battle performance using Pokemon GO's damage formula. Here's how each metric is computed:

DPS — Damage Per Second

Calculated using the Pokemon GO damage formula: floor(0.5 × Power × Atk/Def × STAB) + 1. We simulate a full attack cycle (enough fast moves to charge one charged move) and divide total damage by cycle time. Higher DPS means faster raid clears.

TDO — Total Damage Output

Total damage dealt before fainting, calculated as DPS × Time Alive. Survival time is based on the Pokemon's effective HP and the boss's estimated damage output. TDO rewards bulky Pokemon that stay in the fight longer and need fewer revives.

eDPS — Effective DPS

A composite metric: (DPS³ × TDO)0.25. This balances raw speed with durability — a glass cannon with sky-high DPS but terrible TDO gets penalized, while a tanky attacker that's too slow also won't rank well. eDPS identifies the best all-round raiders.

STAB & Move Selection

Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) adds a 1.2× multiplier when a move's type matches the Pokemon's type. At least one move must be Bug-type to qualify. We test every fast + charged combination and select the one with the highest ranking score.

Shadow & Mega Variants

Shadow Pokemon receive a 20% Attack boost with a ~17% Defense penalty, making them high-DPS glass cannons. Mega Pokemon are evaluated with their boosted base stats. Both variants are ranked alongside regular forms so you can compare them directly.

Tier Assignment

Pokemon are placed into tiers based on how their DPS compares to the #1 attacker:

S-Tier: Top 5% or Top 3 A-Tier: Top 15% or Top 8 B-Tier: Top 25% or Top 15 C-Tier: Top 35% or Top 22 D-Tier: Remaining

All simulations use level 40 stats (CPM 0.7903) against a generic Tier 5 raid boss with 160 effective Defense. Rankings are recalculated daily to reflect the latest move updates and balance changes.

S

S-Tier — Best in Class

3 Pokemon

1 Mega Sceptile
Mega Sceptile Mega
20.500 DPS 369.00 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Frenzy Plant
2 Shadow Metagross
Shadow Metagross Shadow
20.000 DPS 400.00 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Meteor Mash
3 Mega Heracross
Mega Heracross Mega
18.353 DPS 367.06 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Megahorn
A

A-Tier — Top Picks

5 Pokemon

4 Mega Metagross
Mega Metagross Mega
18.333 DPS 366.67 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Meteor Mash
5 Mega Absol
Mega Absol Mega
17.000 DPS 290.13 TDO
F Snarl C Megahorn
6 Shadow Sceptile
Shadow Sceptile Shadow
16.833 DPS 303.00 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Frenzy Plant
7 Pheromosa
Pheromosa
16.750 DPS 305.97 TDO
F Bug Bite C Bug Buzz
8 Metagross
Metagross
16.333 DPS 326.67 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Meteor Mash
B

B-Tier — Solid Options

7 Pokemon

9 Shadow Sirfetchd
Shadow Sirfetchd Shadow
15.882 DPS 262.59 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Brave Bird
10 Mega Beedrill
Mega Beedrill Mega
15.778 DPS 269.27 TDO
F Bug Bite C X Scissor
11 Mega Pinsir
Mega Pinsir Mega
15.778 DPS 269.27 TDO
F Bug Bite C X Scissor
12 Shadow Vikavolt
Shadow Vikavolt Shadow
15.778 DPS 305.04 TDO
F Bug Bite C X Scissor
13 Shadow Absol
Shadow Absol Shadow
15.700 DPS 267.95 TDO
F Snarl C Megahorn
14 Shadow Heatran
Shadow Heatran Shadow
15.440 DPS 339.68 TDO
F Bug Bite C Fire Blast
15 Shadow Pinsir
Shadow Pinsir Shadow
15.333 DPS 261.69 TDO
F Bug Bite C X Scissor
C

C-Tier — Usable

15 Pokemon

16 Shadow Sneasler
Shadow Sneasler Shadow
15.091 DPS 301.82 TDO
F Poison Jab C X Scissor
17 Sceptile
Sceptile
14.667 DPS 264.00 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Frenzy Plant
18 Shadow Scyther
Shadow Scyther Shadow
14.571 DPS 262.29 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Bug Buzz
19 Mega Scizor
Mega Scizor Mega
14.500 DPS 261.00 TDO
F Fury Cutter C X Scissor
20 Shadow Scizor
Shadow Scizor Shadow
14.500 DPS 261.00 TDO
F Fury Cutter C X Scissor
21 Shadow Escavalier
Shadow Escavalier Shadow
14.476 DPS 260.57 TDO
F Bug Bite C Megahorn
22 Shadow Accelgor
Shadow Accelgor Shadow
14.267 DPS 285.33 TDO
F Infestation C Bug Buzz
23 Shadow Rhydon
Shadow Rhydon Shadow
14.143 DPS 346.97 TDO
F Mud Slap C Megahorn
24 Shadow Tangrowth
Shadow Tangrowth Shadow
14.000 DPS 330.40 TDO
F Infestation C Power Whip
25 Kartana
Kartana
14.000 DPS 203.47 TDO
F Fury Cutter C X Scissor
26 Sirfetchd
Sirfetchd
14.000 DPS 231.47 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Brave Bird
27 Volcarona
Volcarona
13.875 DPS 288.60 TDO
F Bug Bite C Bug Buzz
28 Shadow Scolipede
Shadow Scolipede Shadow
13.714 DPS 223.09 TDO
F Bug Bite C Megahorn
29 Absol
Absol
13.600 DPS 232.11 TDO
F Snarl C Megahorn
30 Shadow Kabutops
Shadow Kabutops Shadow
13.556 DPS 220.50 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Stone Edge

Bug Type in Pokemon GO — Overview

Bug-type Pokemon GO has historically been an underdog type, but several elite Bug attackers — Mega Heracross, Genesect, Volcarona, and Pinsir — have pushed Bug into the top tier of multi-type DPS. Bug moves are super-effective against Grass, Psychic, and Dark, making Bug the universal counter to Mewtwo, Hydreigon, Yveltal, and Tangrowth. Bug is also one of the cheapest types to grind raids in, since Mega Beedrill (Bug/Poison) and Mega Heracross have low Mega Energy requirements. Signature Bug moves include Megahorn, X-Scissor, Bug Buzz, Fury Cutter, Lunge, and Pin Missile. Bug types are weak to Fire, Flying, and Rock, making them fragile in raids if the boss has those moves.

Top Bug Attackers Explained

The top Bug attackers are Mega Heracross, Mega Beedrill, Genesect (in its Burn/Chill/Douse/Shock drives), Volcarona, and Mega Pinsir. Mega Heracross (Bug/Fighting) has the highest Bug DPS in the game and doubles as a top Fighting attacker. Mega Beedrill is the cheapest Bug Mega Energy cost. Genesect with Fury Cutter and X-Scissor is the top non-Mega Bug attacker. Volcarona (Bug/Fire) brings dual-type flexibility but its Fire weakness limits raid usability. Shadow Pinsir, Shadow Scizor, and Shadow Volcarona round out the Shadow tier. Vikavolt, Escavalier, and Frosmoth are budget options.

Bug Attackers in PvP & GO Battle League

Bug types are PvP fixtures in specialty cups. Scizor (Bug/Steel) with Fury Cutter and Night Slash is a Great League legend that has held its top-50 usage rank for years. Forretress (Bug/Steel), Galvantula (Bug/Electric), Beedrill, and Yanmega flex into core teams. In Ultra League, Drapion (Poison/Dark) and Vikavolt see niche play. In Master League, Bug is rare due to fragility, but Genesect and Mega Heracross flex against Tyranitar, Mewtwo, and Yveltal cores. Frosmoth (Ice/Bug), Mothim, Beautifly, and Dustox (Bug/Poison) appear in Little Cup formats.

Matchups, Weaknesses & When to Field Bug Attackers

Bug attackers shine against Grass (Tangrowth, Kartana, Mega Sceptile), Psychic (Mewtwo, Cresselia, Mega Mewtwo Y), and Dark (Hydreigon, Yveltal, Tyranitar). They are 1.6× weak to Fire, Flying, and Rock — and Bug/Grass duals like Parasect take 4× damage from Fire and Flying. Rainy weather boosts Bug by 1.2× alongside Water and Electric. Avoid Bug attackers against Mega Charizard Y, Reshiram, Mega Pidgeot, Mega Rayquaza, Tyranitar, and Rhyperior. Bug is the most cost-efficient counter to Mewtwo raids, since a budget Genesect team often outperforms expensive Ghost attackers due to faster TTW (time to win).

Community Day Picks & Notable Bug Investments

Bug Community Days have included Caterpie → Butterfree, Weedle → Beedrill with Drill Run, Pinsir, Wurmple → Beautifly/Dustox, Combee → Vespiquen, Sewaddle → Leavanny, Karrablast → Escavalier, and Joltik → Galvantula. Genesect debuted as a Special Research / paid event Pokemon with multiple Drive variants (Burn, Chill, Douse, Shock) that swap Genesect’s second typing dynamically. Volcarona arrived in 2025 as a top-tier Bug/Fire attacker. Mega Heracross was originally region-locked but went global in 2023. Mega Beedrill remains the most farmable Bug Mega thanks to its Forest Cup-tier energy cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the #1 ranked Bug-type attacker right now?

Based on our DPS simulations, Mega Sceptile currently ranks first among Bug-type attackers in Pokemon GO, followed by Mega Sceptile, Shadow Metagross, Mega Heracross. The full tier list above shows every viable Bug attacker with its optimal moveset, DPS, TDO, and eDPS values.

Which raid bosses should I use Bug attackers against?

Bug-type attacks deal super-effective damage to Dark, Grass, Psychic-type Pokemon, so use Bug attackers when those types appear in 5-Star, Mega, Elite, or Primal raids. Always weather-check the boss before launching the raid to maximize damage with the appropriate weather boost.

What is the best Bug-type attacker in Pokemon GO?

Mega Heracross is the strongest Bug attacker in the game thanks to its dual Bug/Fighting typing. Genesect is the best non-Mega Bug attacker, and Mega Beedrill is the most accessible Mega thanks to its low Energy cost. Shadow Pinsir is a top Shadow option for trainers who farmed during Take Over events.

Why is Bug good against Mewtwo?

Bug-type moves deal 1.6× damage to Psychic types, including Mewtwo. Combined with Mewtwo’s low Defense stat, a team of Mega Heracross and Genesect can clear Mewtwo raids in record time. Bug is also super-effective against Dark (Hydreigon, Yveltal) and Grass (Tangrowth, Kartana), giving it three valuable raid targets.

What are Bug types weak to?

Bug types take 1.6× damage from Fire, Flying, and Rock moves. Bug/Grass duals like Parasect take 4× from Fire and Flying. Bug/Steel duals like Scizor take 4× from Fire only. Plan around the dual-type weaknesses when fielding Bug attackers in raids.

Is Genesect worth powering up?

Yes. Genesect with Fury Cutter and X-Scissor is the best non-Mega Bug attacker in the game and a top-tier counter to Mewtwo, Hydreigon, Yveltal, Tangrowth, and Mega Mewtwo Y raids. Its Drive variants (Burn, Chill, Douse, Shock) provide secondary typings that flex into multiple raid scenarios.

What weather boosts Bug-type moves?

Rainy weather boosts Bug-type moves by 1.2× alongside Water and Electric. Rainy windows are the optimal time to grind Bug Community Days like Caterpie, Weedle, and Wurmple, and to run Mega Heracross or Genesect in raids against Psychic, Dark, or Grass bosses.

Related

Bug Type Pokedex

All Bug-type Pokemon with stats and moves.

Raid Counters

Best counters for every current raid boss.

PvP Tier Lists

Great, Ultra, and Master League rankings.