Survey Finds 60,000 Insect Species in California
A statewide DNA barcoding effort has documented roughly two-thirds of the insect diversity researchers estimate lives in the state.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Environmental
Live Poll
Should California prioritize insects when making conservation decisions?
Researchers with the California Insect Barcode Initiative documented more than 60,000 unique insect species across California, a survey published November 4 in the journal Ecography. The effort barcoded more than one million specimens and represents an estimated 65% to 69% of the state's insect fauna.
Why it matters
Earlier surveys led by the University of California described only about 12% of California's insect diversity, and prior estimates ranged from 26,000 to 100,000 species. The results give California a publicly available DNA barcode reference library for its insects, a baseline that can support future biodiversity monitoring.
The survey barcoded more than one million specimens collected with Malaise traps set in 72 ecoregions and additional methods at 454 other sites, with more than 100 volunteers contributing. Estimated species richness was highest in the Southern California Mountains and Mojave Basin and Range ecoregions, and about a third of the state's insect species remain undiscovered.
The players
California Insect Barcode Initiative (CIBI)
A statewide initiative that carried out the DNA barcoding survey of California's insects and produced the publicly available reference library.
The details
Malaise traps, which channel insects into collecting vessels filled with ethanol, were used in 72 ecoregions across California. Volunteers also collected tissue samples from museum collections and set traps across the state, and the specimens were processed through DNA barcoding.
Timeline
November 4, 2026: Survey results published in the journal Ecography.
Big Picture
The survey extends earlier University of California-led efforts, which described only about 12% of the state's insect diversity, by building on the California Insect Barcode Initiative's statewide DNA reference library. It moves California's insect inventory from rough estimates toward a documented baseline.
The publicly available barcode library gives researchers and land managers a reference for identifying California insects from DNA. Residents interested in local biodiversity can use the baseline to track changes in insect populations over time.
The takeaway
A third of California's insect species remain undiscovered, so the inventory is a starting point rather than a final count. Expanding sampling across under-surveyed ecoregions would sharpen the estimates and strengthen future biodiversity tracking.
Further reading
For related coverage of ecological monitoring, see the Environmental section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Gizmodo.
Live Poll
Should California prioritize insects when making conservation decisions?
