Grubs are spread unevenly. Crystal Peak has seven, more than anywhere else, and the Forgotten Crossroads and Deepnest have five each. Three of them are not loose in the world at all: the Collector in the Tower of Love holds them, and you need the Love Key from the Queen's Gardens to get in and beat him. Several others sit behind breakable walls, inside acid pools that need Isma's Tear, or above ledges that need the Monarch Wings.
The usual mistake is sweeping an area early, moving on, and then having to walk the whole map again at the end. If you are aiming for all 46, clear each area once you have the double jump and the super dash rather than on your first pass.
How to collect them
Grubs make a distinct chirping sound through walls, so turn the music down and listen when you walk a corridor. When you are close, the jar itself is visible as a small glass container with a green grub inside. Hit it once with the nail and the grub is freed.
Buy the Grub pin from Iselda in Dirtmouth for 100 Geo. Once you own it, every grub you have already discovered shows on your in-game map, which turns a blind sweep into a checklist. Filter this site's map to the Grub category and you get the same thing for the grubs you have not found yet.
What you get
The Grubfather pays out as you go. Single grubs give Geo on a rising scale, then the milestones land: a Mask Shard at 5 grubs, the Grubsong charm at 10, a Rancid Egg at 16, a Hallownest Seal at 23, a Pale Ore at 31, a King's Idol at 38, and Grubberfly's Elegy at all 46. Freeing half of them unlocks the Grubfriend achievement and freeing all 46 unlocks Metamorphosis. Note that grubs themselves are worth zero completion percent, so this is a rewards grind rather than a 112 percent requirement.
All 46 locations by area
Forgotten Crossroads (5)
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Husk Guard room, north-east Crossroads
Defeat the Husk Guard in the room on the way up to Crystal Peak, then break the jar behind him.
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West Crossroads, near the Greenpath border
Sits in the open on the west side of the Crossroads. No ability is needed to reach it.
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Behind a breakable wall, north Crossroads
Slash the cracked wall in the upper Crossroads corridor to open the room holding the jar.
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Spiked shaft east of the Stag Station
Reached by nail-bouncing off the spikes in the shaft east of the Crossroads Stag Station.
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Ledge in the central Crossroads
Cross the gap with the Mothwing Cloak, or nail-bounce off an enemy if you do not have it yet. This is the fifth Grub reward from the Grubfather, a Mask Shard.
Greenpath (4)
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East Greenpath, near the Crossroads entrance
Throw the moss block off the ledge to open the way to the jar.
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East Greenpath, below the junction room
Sits in the open in the lower east Greenpath rooms. No ability is needed.
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Moss Knight chamber, north Greenpath
Defeat the Moss Knight guarding the small chamber and break the jar behind him.
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South Greenpath, below the Lake of Unn
Sits in the open in the lower Greenpath caverns. No ability is needed.
Fungal Wastes (2)
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Central Fungal Wastes
Dash across the gap with the Mothwing Cloak to reach the jar. This is the tenth Grub, which earns the Grubsong charm from the Grubfather.
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South of Queen's Station
Climb the walls with the Mantis Claw to reach the ledge holding the jar.
City of Tears (8)
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Central City of Tears
Out in the open in the middle of the City. No ability is needed.
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Great Husk Sentry room, east City
Defeat the Great Husk Sentry patrolling the room and free the Grub behind him.
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North-west City of Tears
Break the cracked floor with Desolate Dive to drop into the room holding the jar.
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South-east City, toward Kingdom's Edge
Sits in the open in the flooded south-east corner of the City. No ability is needed.
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Tower rooms east of the Watcher's Spire
Climb with the Mantis Claw, then use the Monarch Wings or a nail-bounce for the last gap. This is the sixteenth Grub, which earns a Rancid Egg from the Grubfather.
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Tower of Love
Unlock the Tower of Love with the Love Key and defeat The Collector. Three jars line the hallway inside.
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Tower of Love
Second of the three jars inside the Tower of Love.
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Tower of Love
The last of the 46 Grubs. Freeing it earns Grubberfly's Elegy from the Grubfather.
Crystal Peak (7)
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West edge of Crystal Peak, above Dirtmouth
Climb with the Mantis Claw and super dash across with the Crystal Heart to reach the jar.
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Mid Crystal Peak, near the Crystal Guardian
Needs the Mothwing Cloak to cross the gap and the Mantis Claw to climb up to the jar.
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North-east Crystal Peak
Climb with the Mantis Claw, then cross the last gap with either the Crystal Heart or the Monarch Wings.
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Far north-east Crystal Peak
Dash across with the Mothwing Cloak, then use the Monarch Wings or a nail-bounce for the final platform.
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Central Crystal Peak mines
Needs the Mothwing Cloak and the Mantis Claw to work through the mine shafts to the jar.
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Lower Crystal Peak, near Cornifer
A dash with the Mothwing Cloak is all that is needed to reach this jar.
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East Crystal Peak, near the Crystallised Mound
Needs the Mothwing Cloak, the Mantis Claw and Desolate Dive to break through to the jar. This is the twenty-third Grub, which earns a Hallownest Seal from the Grubfather.
Resting Grounds (1)
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Catacombs, south Resting Grounds
Break the floor with Desolate Dive and follow the catacomb tunnels to the jar.
Howling Cliffs (1)
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Lower Howling Cliffs
Climb the cliff walls with the Mantis Claw to reach the ledge holding the jar.
Fog Canyon (1)
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East Fog Canyon
Super dash across the fog with the Crystal Heart to reach the sealed chamber. This is the thirty-first Grub, which earns a Pale Ore from the Grubfather.
Royal Waterways (3)
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West Royal Waterways
Sits in the open in the western sewer tunnels. No ability is needed.
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East Waterways, entered from Kingdom's Edge
This room cannot be reached from the Waterways proper. Come in through Kingdom's Edge, then super dash across and use the Monarch Wings or a nail-bounce.
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Flooded east Waterways
Swim through the acid with Isma's Tear to reach the jar.
Deepnest (5)
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North-east Deepnest, near the Fungal Wastes border
Climb with the Mantis Claw and break the cracked wall to reach the jar.
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Central Deepnest
Climb with the Mantis Claw, then super dash across the gap with the Crystal Heart or nail-bounce over it.
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South Deepnest, near the Hot Spring
Break the cracked wall, then cross with either the Monarch Wings or the Crystal Heart.
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West Deepnest, near the Distant Village
Needs the Mothwing Cloak and the Mantis Claw to work through the dark passages. This is the thirty-eighth Grub, which earns a King's Idol from the Grubfather.
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Beast's Den, far west Deepnest
Inside Herrah's den below the Distant Village. Needs the Mothwing Cloak and the Mantis Claw.
Ancient Basin (2)
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West Ancient Basin
Dash with the Mothwing Cloak and glide with the Monarch Wings to reach the jar.
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Central Ancient Basin
Break the cracked floor with Desolate Dive to drop into the room holding the jar.
Kingdom's Edge (2)
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Far east Kingdom's Edge
Break the floor with Desolate Dive and drop into the chamber below to free the Grub.
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Central ash fields, Kingdom's Edge
Climb the ash-covered ledges with the Mantis Claw to reach the jar.
The Hive (2)
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West side of the Hive
Needs Desolate Dive to break through the wax floor and Isma's Tear to pass the acid on the way in.
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East side of the Hive
Super dash across with the Crystal Heart, then use the Monarch Wings or a nail-bounce to land on the platform.
Queen's Gardens (3)
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Central Queen's Gardens, near the Stag Station
Sits in the open close to the Gardens Stag Station. No ability is needed.
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North Queen's Gardens, below the Greenpath border
Climb with the Mantis Claw, super dash with the Crystal Heart and finish with the Monarch Wings or a nail-bounce.
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West Queen's Gardens
Wall-jump up with the Mantis Claw to reach the jar.