Maybe you’ve wondered about it late at night as a mosquito buzzes in your ear. Or when you kick over a rock and watch dozens of little critters crawl away: How many types of insects are there in the world? Scientists have been interested in answering this question for years. A new study — based on a census of tiny and, frankly terrifying, parasitoid wasps — suggests there’s way more than previously thought. Like, millions more that are just waiting to be discovered.   Interested in more bug science in the news? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >shortwave@npr.org</a>. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. It includes perks like bonus episodes, early access, archive access, curated playlists and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at <a href="http://plus.npr.org"target="_blank" >plus.npr.org</a>.  See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

Plot twist: We're probably way undercounting insects on Earth

Short Wave Plus

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews