From bumblebees pollinating flowers to dragonflies zipping around ponds, insects are a diverse group. However, their vast array of physical forms and complex ecological roles make estimating their total population a massive scientific challenge.
For years, scientists estimated that Earth was home to roughly five to six million insect species. Recent findings reveal those figures were highly conservative. According to Dirk Steinke, a professor and research scientist at the University of Guelph’s Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, the true figure lands between 13.3 million and 24.7 million insect species.
To refine global estimates, Steinke and his team analyzed decades of data focused on a single, highly specialized group: parasitic wasps.
