DNA Survey Finds 60,000 California Insect Species

The statewide barcode count covers about two-thirds of the state's insect fauna, with roughly a third still undiscovered.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Environmental

A white mesh insect trap with amber-filled collection vials stands in golden grassland at the edge of oak woodland under warm late-afternoon light. — A statewide DNA survey of more than one million barcoded insect specimens has documented over 60,000 species across California, published November 4 in the journal Ecography. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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A statewide survey documented more than 60,000 unique insect species across California, a count drawn from more than one million barcoded specimens. The study, published November 4, 2026 in the journal Ecography, reports a completed survey result rather than a tool or product.

Why it matters

The survey is far larger than prior efforts, which described about 12% of California's insect diversity, and it places the state's known insect count within reach of earlier estimates of 26,000 to 100,000 species. Because it builds a publicly available DNA barcode reference library for California insects, the dataset gives researchers a shared baseline for tracking insect populations over time.

The survey barcoded more than one million specimens and sampled 72 ecoregions with Malaise traps plus 454 additional sites, yielding 60,000 species against prior estimates of 26,000 to 100,000. Roughly a third of the state's insect species remain undiscovered, and the total will shift as sampling gaps are filled.

The players

California Insect Barcode Initiative (CIBI)

A research effort that carried out the statewide insect survey and built the California insect DNA barcode reference library.

University of California

The institution that led prior surveys which described about 12% of California's insect diversity.

The details

Malaise traps, which capture insects in mesh walls and channel them into collecting vessels filled with ethanol, were the main sampling tool in 72 ecoregions across the state. Each specimen was DNA barcoded, meaning a short standardized genetic sequence was read and matched to a species identity, which is how the team assigned more than 60,000 unique species. More than 100 volunteers collected tissue samples from museum collections and set traps across California, and the resulting barcodes feed a publicly available reference library.

November 4, 2026: Survey results published in the journal Ecography.

The Tech Race

The statewide survey extends earlier University of California-led efforts, which described about 12% of California's insect diversity, to a count of more than 60,000 species. It positions the California Insect Barcode Initiative as the source of a reference library that future biodiversity monitoring in the state can build on.

The published barcode library is publicly available, so researchers and conservation groups can use California's insect reference data now. Practical applications for the public, such as monitoring tools, have not been announced.

The takeaway

The survey shows that roughly a third of California's insects are still undiscovered, so the species total will keep rising. Watch for follow-up sampling that fills the identified gaps and updates the state's count.