How many species of beetles has science formally described?
Beetles are the single largest group of animals on Earth by species count, found on every continent except Antarctica, in nearly every habitat that exists. Before you see the number, how many distinct species do you think have actually been named?
Reveal the answer
About 400,000 beetle species have been formally described — roughly a quarter of all named animal species — and researchers estimate as many as 1.5 million more are still waiting to be found and named.