With spring on the ascendant in the northern hemisphere, is it any wonder that every year at this time bugs emerge from their chrysalises as a primary design theme for tableware? Insects are the harbingers of springtime – dragonflies buzzing above lily pads in response to the raincalls of frogs; bees humming among the first blossoms; beetles scrambling among soft pads of new moss. Here are some ways in which insects fly, flap, drone, burrow, inch, crawl, sidle, skitter and hum onto spring tables -- hopefully not in person (at least until the ants remember that picnic season is about to begin).

Dragonflies. There are bugs on the Bush legacy White House china; and Kate Spade china has bugs for your table. The June Lane china pattern features a beautifully detailed dragonfly rendered in either gold or silver leaf which perfectly captures this bug's gossamer magic. With china registries down, this pattern might become endangered, so get buzzing if you want to register this place setting.

Butterflies. If as a naturalist you're a colorist, butterflies are aflutter at Target. With their butterfly porcelain collection, you can tickle your palate from vessels showing off a palette of brightly colored butterflies. Vividly colored salad plates are inexpensive, so treat yourself to the matching platter. If your palate's palette is woodsy, take a look at the botanical print-inspired John Derian offerings.

Cockroaches. Etsy needs to hire an exterminator: they've been overtaken by cockroaches! Bailey's Doesn't Bark's shop has these porcelain teacups whose design is for the aesthetically advanced if not the faint of heart. You know what they say about roaches, and sure enough, they've also infested the storefronts at Foldedpig and Catherine Reese.

Beetles. Laura Zindel's beetle vases are the perfect vessels for your table's centerpiece. Spiders aren't insects, they're arachnids, but they have ambulated onto Zindel's ceramic platters, glasses and other tableware. Her pieces capture the articulated beauty of most of the creepy crawlies highlit in this post -- at prices that are a splurge in this economy but reasonable for this level of artistry.

Ladybugs. You'll need linens when you're setting the table. The Ladybug Gift Store offers this table runner with matching napkins -- and don't forget the ladybug napkin rings. Serve appetizers or dessert on these ladybug plates. And if you've been invited to lunch rather than serving it, perhaps you want to send this ladybug tea basket as your thank-you.

Grasshoppers. In some cultures, grasshoppers bring good luck, so back at etsy they're vending this grasshopper sake set. If you like to drink your grasshoppers rather than drink out of them, they will look lovely in admittedly non-bug-themed Marcel wine goblets from Crate & Barrel. And if you're a tea-totaler, hop over to Pearl River Mart for grashoppers hiding among the bamboo adorning these tea sets.

Bees. Hopefully you know by now that we all need to help bees. Aside from everything else they do for us, bees make honey, and here's a bee that serves it. Maison de Kristine offers French bee tableware rendered in in clear or pink glass. Once you've set your bee table and served your honey-themed treats, remember to repay the bees with a donation of time, effort or funds.

These are just some of the ways bug design appears on our tabletops. What are some of your favorite bug designs?