While insects are the most diverse group of animals on the planet, we don’t have a very accurate count on the number of species. There are over one million named species, but many scientists estimate the number of unnamed species to be as high as 30 million. Even considering only the million or so insects that we have formally classified, this number still represents over half of all known living organisms. When we consider the total possible number of insects (maybe more than 30 million), these would represent up to 90% of all known animals. Note: Wikipedia cites the most current estimates of unnamed insects to be between 6-10 million.
Some of the numbers of insects by species are:
- Beetles, 360,000
- Butterflies and Moths: 170,000
- Flies: 120,000
- Bees, wasps and ants: 110,000
- True bugs: 82,000
- Grasshoppers: 20,000
- Dragonflies: 2,000
With so many out there, and the fact that they live practically everywhere, it’s no wonder that insect collecting is such a popular hobby. Here’s a fun article if you’re looking to introduce children to insect collecting. And if you’re interested in starting an ant habitat, there are a couple on this list of 2008 best selling toys.
