Scientists tally over 40,000 insect species in a single Amazon region

A collaborative team of Brazilian scientists has been collecting insects across a 10,000-hectare section of the central Amazon for 14 months, using vertical stacks of mesh traps that reach up to 30 metres above ground. Early analysis indicates the area may host over 40,000 insect species, a figure that could rise sharply if other forest zones are surveyed. The project, described as the largest ground-to-canopy insect biodiversity survey, also employs DNA barcoding to sequence thousands of specimens quickly.

About 5.5 million insects have been captured, with roughly 600,000 slated for genetic analysis, and a consortium of around 400 taxonomists will match genetic data to physical traits to name new species. Researchers plan to draw on Indigenous languages and regional history for naming. The effort was highlighted in a video poster at the recent Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science meeting in Niterói.