Study Estimates 14-20 Million Insect Species, Upending Previous Consensus
A new study published on June 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that there may be between 14 million and 20 million insect species on Earth, which is a big jump from the earlier estimate of about 6 million. With only around 1 million species discovered so far, this means that up to 95% of insect diversity is still unknown. The research, led by Laura Melissa Guzman from Cornell University, focused on the Área de Conservación Guanacaste in Costa Rica. They looked at specialized parasitic wasps and analyzed data from over 1.6 million insects, estimating roughly 2,400 species of Microgastrinae and 333,000 total insect species there. The study highlights the alarming decline of insect populations due to human actions.
Key facts
- Study published June 29 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Earth hosts 14-20 million insect species, up from previous estimate of 6 million
- Only about 1 million insect species have been named and described
- Up to 95% of insect diversity may remain unknown
- Research led by Laura Melissa Guzman, entomologist at Cornell University
- Study focused on Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), a 418,000-acre UNESCO World Heritage Site in Costa Rica
- Used parasitic wasps (Microgastrinae) as ecological yardstick
- Over 1.6 million insects caught in Malaise traps; projected 333,000 insect species in ACG
- Insect populations declining: 45% drop from 1970-2010, 75% decline in German protected areas 1989-2016
- Over 40% of known insect species threatened with extinction
Entities
Institutions
- Cornell University
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG)
- UNESCO
- California Academy of Sciences
- Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
- Science News
- Time
- Science
Locations
- Costa Rica
- Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG)
- Pacific coast
- Caribbean basin
- Germany