There are an estimated 900,000 different types of species of bugs that have been discovered and classified, and the ratio of bugs to mammals on Earth is thought to be approximately 312 to 1. Researchers believe that bugs outnumber humans and other mammals because they can survive on a large variety of matter, such as decomposing matter, plants, other insects, and don’t have to be as competitive with other bugs for food. Insects are also able to live in a larger range of climates and environments than mammals, and their smaller size makes it easier for a high number of them to share a common space—particularly important since bugs have a high rate of reproduction.
More about insects:
- Termite queens in Eastern Africa have been found lay over 40,000 eggs every day at a rate of approximately one every two seconds.
- While humans are thought to date back 130,000 years, scientists believe that bugs have been around on Earth for 350 million years.
- Insects are thought to outnumber plants at a ratio of 17 to 1.
