Constructing a lower-bound estimate of the global number of insect species on a hyperdiverse empirical foundation

Robert Colwell; Laura Melissa Guzman; Dirk Steinke; Anne Chao; Daniel H. Janzen; Winnie Hallwachs; Austin  Baker; Jose L Fernández-Triana; Paul D.N.  Hebert; Frank  Joyce; Robert Puschendorf; Donald L.J.  Quicke; Rodolphe Rougerie; M. Alex Smith; Nelson Zamora; Michael J.  Sharkey

doi:10.1073/pnas.2524283123

Constructing a lower-bound estimate of the global number of insect species on a hyperdiverse empirical foundation

Robert Colwell^*
, Laura Melissa Guzman^*
, Dirk Steinke
, Anne Chao
, Daniel H. Janzen
, Winnie Hallwachs
, Austin Baker
, Jose L Fernández-Triana
, Paul D.N. Hebert
, Frank Joyce
, Robert Puschendorf
, Donald L.J. Quicke
, Rodolphe Rougerie
, M. Alex Smith
, Nelson Zamora
, Michael J. Sharkey

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut,
Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2601
Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada
Institute of Statistics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin-Chu 30043, Taiwan;
University of Pennsylvania
Department of Entomology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007;
hCanadian National Collection of Insects, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6, Canada
Monteverde Institute, Monteverde, Puntarenas 60109, Costa Rica
Center of Excellence in Integrative Insect Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Department of Origins and Evolution, Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, École Pratique des Hautes Études – Université Paris Sciences & Lettres, Sorbonne Université, Université des Antilles, Paris F-75005, France
University of Guelph
Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago 159-7050, Costa Rica
The Hymenoptera Institute, Lexington, KY 40502

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Abstract

Significance
For more than 40 y, entomologists have attempted to estimate the number of insect species on Earth, with the current consensus—the figure most experts accept—at about six million. Using genetic information (DNA barcodes) for 1.6 million individual tropical insects, a deep census of a highly diverse group of parasitoid wasps, and powerful statistical strategies, we conservatively estimate that the true number of insect species is at least 14 to 20 million—two to three times higher than current estimates. Already known to be the most diverse group of animals, a doubling or tripling of estimated insect diversity has profound implications for our understanding of the scale, richness, and future of biodiversity on Earth.

Original language	English
Article number	e2524283123
Journal	Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
Volume	123
Issue number	27
Early online date	30 Jun 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2524283123
Publication status	Published - 7 Jul 2026

Keywords

DNA barcodes
species richness
biodiversity
hyperdiverse taxa
Microgastrinae

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colwell-et-al-2026-constructing-a-lower-bound-estimate-of-the-global-number-of-insect-species-on-a-hyperdiverseFinal published version, 907 KBLicence: CC BY

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Colwell, R., Guzman, L. M., Steinke, D., Chao, A., Janzen, D. H., Hallwachs, W., Baker, A., Fernández-Triana, J. L., Hebert, P. D. N., Joyce, F., Puschendorf, R., Quicke, D. L. J., Rougerie, R., Smith, M. A., Zamora, N., & Sharkey, M. J. (2026). Constructing a lower-bound estimate of the global number of insect species on a hyperdiverse empirical foundation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 123(27), Article e2524283123. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2524283123

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title = "Constructing a lower-bound estimate of the global number of insect species on a hyperdiverse empirical foundation",

abstract = "Significance For more than 40 y, entomologists have attempted to estimate the number of insect species on Earth, with the current consensus—the figure most experts accept—at about six million. Using genetic information (DNA barcodes) for 1.6 million individual tropical insects, a deep census of a highly diverse group of parasitoid wasps, and powerful statistical strategies, we conservatively estimate that the true number of insect species is at least 14 to 20 million—two to three times higher than current estimates. Already known to be the most diverse group of animals, a doubling or tripling of estimated insect diversity has profound implications for our understanding of the scale, richness, and future of biodiversity on Earth.",

keywords = "DNA barcodes, species richness, biodiversity, hyperdiverse taxa, Microgastrinae",

author = "Robert Colwell and Guzman, \{Laura Melissa\} and Dirk Steinke and Anne Chao and Janzen, \{Daniel H.\} and Winnie Hallwachs and Austin Baker and Fern{\'a}ndez-Triana, \{Jose L\} and Hebert, \{Paul D.N.\} and Frank Joyce and Robert Puschendorf and Quicke, \{Donald L.J.\} and Rodolphe Rougerie and Smith, \{M. Alex\} and Nelson Zamora and Sharkey, \{Michael J.\}",

year = "2026",

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doi = "10.1073/pnas.2524283123",

language = "English",

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Colwell, R, Guzman, LM, Steinke, D, Chao, A, Janzen, DH, Hallwachs, W, Baker, A, Fernández-Triana, JL, Hebert, PDN, Joyce, F, Puschendorf, R, Quicke, DLJ, Rougerie, R, Smith, MA, Zamora, N & Sharkey, MJ 2026, 'Constructing a lower-bound estimate of the global number of insect species on a hyperdiverse empirical foundation', Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, vol. 123, no. 27, e2524283123. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2524283123

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T1 - Constructing a lower-bound estimate of the global number of insect species on a hyperdiverse empirical foundation

AU - Colwell, Robert

AU - Guzman, Laura Melissa

AU - Steinke, Dirk

AU - Chao, Anne

AU - Janzen, Daniel H.

AU - Hallwachs, Winnie

AU - Baker, Austin

AU - Fernández-Triana, Jose L

AU - Hebert, Paul D.N.

AU - Joyce, Frank

AU - Puschendorf, Robert

AU - Quicke, Donald L.J.

AU - Rougerie, Rodolphe

AU - Smith, M. Alex

AU - Zamora, Nelson

AU - Sharkey, Michael J.

PY - 2026/7/7

Y1 - 2026/7/7

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AB - Significance For more than 40 y, entomologists have attempted to estimate the number of insect species on Earth, with the current consensus—the figure most experts accept—at about six million. Using genetic information (DNA barcodes) for 1.6 million individual tropical insects, a deep census of a highly diverse group of parasitoid wasps, and powerful statistical strategies, we conservatively estimate that the true number of insect species is at least 14 to 20 million—two to three times higher than current estimates. Already known to be the most diverse group of animals, a doubling or tripling of estimated insect diversity has profound implications for our understanding of the scale, richness, and future of biodiversity on Earth.

KW - DNA barcodes

KW - species richness

KW - biodiversity

KW - hyperdiverse taxa

KW - Microgastrinae

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DO - 10.1073/pnas.2524283123

M3 - Article

SN - 1091-6490

VL - 123

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Science

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Science

IS - 27

M1 - e2524283123

ER -

Constructing a lower-bound estimate of the global number of insect species on a hyperdiverse empirical foundation

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