The Pixar Movie The Life of a Beetle is a sharp and funny look at capitalism through the lens of bugs at strife, and there are many kinds of “bugs” in the story. The film follows an ant named Flik (voiced by Dave Foley) who has a deal where grasshoppers give food to his colony and make sure other insects don’t hurt them. Flik wants to get out of this pressure situation and ends up in charge of bugs that are part of a circus. Along the way, he encounters many types of insects, including a stick bug, which is one of the most memorable characters in the film.
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Stick insects are actually stick-like bugs that hide in plants to survive. A Bug’s Life’s cane beetle character, Slim (voiced by Frasier’s David Hyde Pierce) is adorable and charming, helping to make the film one of Pixar’s most underrated animated films. He has one of the most compelling storylines in the film and has a rough time with his boss, which is one way the story mirrors the human experience. There are other various flaws in the film that are also unique and endearing. Here is a list of all the types of insects featured in Pixar’s A Bug’s Life.
ants
There are many ants in A Bug’s Life that Flik is close to and interacts with on a regular basis. While the stick bug from A Bug’s Life is a fan favorite, these ants themselves make up a lively and very likeable group of insects. The ants are all blue or purple, giving them a happy, carefree look. There’s Mr. Soil (Roddy McDowall, from the Planet of the Apes movies) who is the main protagonist of the group. There is also dr. Flora (Edie McClurg from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) who takes care of everyone in the colony.
While Flik is busy fighting Hopper, the film gives him a love life that moves. Flik is in a relationship with Princess Atta (Seinfeld’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Atta waits to be the queen, which gives her purpose and purpose. Atta is a well-developed character who is unsure about taking over and wants everyone to love her. Your overwhelm is understandable. Atta goes on a journey and becomes more confident with himself by the end of A Bug’s Life.
Other ants include Dot (Hayden Panettiere from the Scream movies) and Atta and Dot’s mother, The Queen (comedy legend Phyllis Diller), who is a little scary and intimidating. Ashley Tisdale (who later voiced Candace in Disney’s Phineas and Ferb) plays a character responsible for the Blueberry Scouts in A Bug’s Life. The Blueberry Scouts consist of several ants that are children, like Dot, which is a charming detail. There’s also Cornelius (David Ossman), who uses a cane to walk around, and Thorny (Alex Rocco from The Godfather), who works for Atta and is always in a bad mood.
grasshoppers
If the stick bug from A Bug’s Life is one of the most likable characters, Hopper (House of Cards’ Kevin Spacey) is the opposite. Hopper is in charge of the locusts, and while he provides food for Flik and the other insects in the colony, he has ill intentions. Hopper has a mean expression on his face all the time and can’t see in one eye because a bird once injured him.
The other grasshopper in the film is Molt, Hopper’s younger brother. While Hopper is brutal and tough, Molt is kinder, but Hopper is the one who intimidates the other grasshoppers and gets them to listen and join in. Richard Kind, known for playing Jamie and Paul’s good friend Mark on the ’90s sitcom Mad About You and the Revival, appeals to this character. There are also smaller locusts named Loco (Carlos Alazraqui), Axle (Jon Rabson) and Thumper (David Lander).
aphids
There’s an aphid in A Bug’s Life, and his name is Alphie (Bob Bergen). The Queen keeps Alphie as a pet, and he’s a cute, happy part of the story. The Queen is an important character because although she runs the colony, she is nice to everyone and seems to enjoy her work and life. The Queen is also significant because she is very different from Hopper, who doesn’t know how to be compassionate.
walking stick bugs
Slim is a cane beetle who is part of the circus group in the early and relatively low-profile Pixar film A Bug’s Life. Some hive bugs fly, others don’t. Slim can’t fly, which apparently bothers him as well. Slim has the long, thin appearance one would expect from an insect of that name. In a hilarious story he has to be a clown, which he doesn’t like.
ladybug
While A Bug’s Life’s stick bug gets a humorous storyline, so too does ladybug Francis (Denis Leary) become frustrated at being a clown in the circus. Francis has the big eyes typical of ladybugs and sometimes gets mad at the other insects. However, Francis is a problematic character as he is a male bug who does drag who doesn’t like the other bugs mistaking him for female.
mosquitoes
There are also two mosquitoes that appear in some scenes in the film. There’s Harry the Mosquito (Rodger Bumpass, best known for playing Squidward Tentacles on SpongeBob SquarePants). There’s also the Bargnat that Flik talks to and drinks a Bloody Mary and then passes out, which is a dark moment in the otherwise family-friendly story. Harry meets an unfortunate end when he moves towards a light and realizes too late that this object is designed to kill bugs. Since this is a children’s film, the mosquitoes in A Bug’s Life have huge eyes and exaggerated wings and noses.
fleas
There’s also a flea in A Bug’s Life, and like Slim the cane bug, he makes a good impression. PT Flea is the Ringmaster, and he is voiced by John Ratzenberger, a regular in Pixar films. While fleas are black, PT Flea is olive in color and has a lot of fun running the circus. He has a loud personality and a mischievous look in his eyes. PT Flea becomes a nicer insect at the end of the story and learns from the circus bugs, Flik and the other ants.
rhino beetle
Dim is a rhino beetle who plays an intense, emotional role in the “wild beast” circus. He’s the biggest bug, but he’s not very brave. Dim’s dynamic with the other insects, including Slim the stick bug, involves them taking care of him and making sure he’s happy and comfortable. Actor Brad Garrett, popular for his role as Robert in Everybody Loves Raymond, voiced Dim in A Bug’s Life, and while the character may be uncertain, he definitely has a flair for the dramatic.
isopods
Tuck and Roll (both voiced by Office Space’s Michael McShane) are pill bugs who are also in the circus, and while they’re not as memorable as Slim the Stick Bug, they have the most adorable looks of any insect in the film, as they always look light frightened and surprised. The siblings have green bodies and black antennae. The pill bugs in the film are more colorful than those in real life, as pill bugs are usually black with touches of gray or brown. The Pixar formula “What if x had feelings” can be applied here as the pill bugs are definitely full of emotions.
gypsy moths
There’s also a gypsy moth named Gypsy (Madeline Kahn) who works with her husband, a praying mantis named Manny (Jonathan Harris). While moths are considered dull and dark looking, Gypsy has a rainbow body and appears to be wearing a shiny chic coat. Gypsy and Manny have a positive relationship and she takes care of him. They might not be the most important mistakes in the film, but they’re memorable nonetheless.
praying mantises
Not to be confused with a stick insect, Manny the praying mantis in A Bug’s Life is a fun green color. He takes pride in his work in the circus, and Manny and Gypsy are used to being successful there. Because Manny speaks with an English accent, he stands out from the other insects. While Pixar has stopped doing blooper roles, the alleged “bugs” involved in this film see actors laughing during serious dialogue. Manny’s accent makes him sound more formal and sophisticated than the other bugs, and he doesn’t have the sense of humor that some of the other bugs have.
caterpillars
There are also the caterpillar Heimlich (voiced by Pixar animator and writer Joe Ranft), which is another fan favorite like Slim the Stick Bug. Heimlich has rosy cheeks, a light green body, red hands and feet, and a German accent. He is sometimes shown screaming and is one of the most expressive bugs. The characters of the movie are so well fleshed out because they are given missions to follow. In Heimlich’s case, he wants to be a butterfly, and it’s satisfying to see him achieve that goal in the end. Many Pixar films have Easter eggs for future films and previous releases, and Heimlich and Flik later secretly appear in a scene in Toy Story 2.
Black widow spiders
Another character in the circus alongside Heimlich the caterpillar and Slim the stick bug is Rosie the Black Widow Spider (Pixar regular Bonnie Hunt). She had 12 deceased husbands, which explains her name. Rosie has a light blue face, big happy eyes, and multiple black arms and legs. She often has a curious expression on her face. While not technically an insect, this arachnid is worthy of being called one of the “bugs” of The Life of a Beetle, as she takes care of and looks out for the other insects. Her kind personality makes her one of the most touching characters in the film.
