Scientists estimate there could be 20M species, triple what was thought
A new study estimates there could be around 20 million insect species on Earth, roughly three times previous estimates, suggesting that the vast majority remain undiscovered.
Background
- Scientists have formally described roughly 1 million insect species over 250+ years. This new study estimates the true total may be ~20 million — meaning ~95% of insect species remain unknown.
- The estimate comes from analyzing how often expert taxonomists encounter new vs. known species in field samples, then scaling globally.
- Why it matters: most undiscovered insects are believed to live in tropical rainforests, which are rapidly being destroyed. If correct, we are losing vast numbers of species before they are even documented.
- Previous estimates ranged wildly from 2 million to 80 million. This 20 million figure is far higher than the conventional textbook estimate of ~5-10 million.