Science

Insect Biodiversity Redefined

Updated 2026-07-01 19:40 UTC 1 source Neutral

New calculations suggest Earth is home to approximately 20 million insect species, three times the previously estimated number. This discovery was made using a combination of bug traps, epidemiology, and tree studies.

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Scientific American

Earth is home to 20 million insect species—three times more than we thought

Some creative calculations using bug traps, epidemiology and trees suggest there are some 20 million unique insect species on Earth

2026-07-01 18:53 UTC