California scientists launch ambitious dna project to catalog up to 100,000 insect species

California may be home to an staggering 60,000 to 100,000 insect species, but scientists admit they don’t know the exact number. Now, an ambitious new project called the California Insect Barcode Initiative is using cutting-edge DNA sequencing to create the first comprehensive catalog of every fly, ant, and beetle in the Golden State.

Led by Austin Baker, a postdoctoral researcher at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the project operates under the California All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory with the bold mission to “discover it all, protect it forever.” The challenge is immense—California’s diverse landscapes, from redwood forests to desert basins, each harbor unique species communities that have never been fully documented.

The research team is taking a methodical approach, sampling every ecoregion recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency. They deploy various collection techniques and leave passive traps in the field for months, ensuring no habitat goes unexplored. Baker notes that visitors to virtually any vegetated area in California could potentially discover new, unnamed insect species.

Each collected specimen receives a DNA “barcode”—a unique genetic fingerprint that helps scientists identify and classify species. While DNA barcoding is highly effective for species discovery, Baker emphasizes that accuracy still requires examining physical specimens for verification. This massive collaborative effort involves scientists from UC Berkeley, the California Academy of Sciences, and other institutions, creating a permanent archive that will serve as an invaluable resource for conservation and biodiversity research.