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Insects

There are 24,000+ recorded insect species in Britain, and the number changes as new species are discovered or reclassified.

Here’s a complete breakdown by insect order, covering all major groups recorded in the UK, with examples and approximate species counts.


Major Insect Orders in the UK


1) Beetles (Order: Coleoptera)

~4,000+ species

Largest insect group in the UK

Includes:

Ladybirds

Ground beetles

Stag beetles

Weevils

Rove beetles


2) Butterflies & Moths (Order: Lepidoptera)

~2,500+ species

~60 butterflies

~2,500 moths

Includes:

Blues & Fritillaries

Hawk moths

Micro-moths


3) Bees, Wasps, Ants & Sawflies (Order: Hymenoptera)

~7,000+ species

Includes:

~270 bee species

~50 ant species

Thousands of parasitic wasps


4) True Flies (Order: Diptera)

~7,000+ species

Includes:

Hoverflies

Craneflies

Mosquitoes

Midges

Houseflies


5) True Bugs (Order: Hemiptera)

~1,700+ species

Includes:

Shieldbugs

Aphids

Water boatmen

Leafhoppers


6) Grasshoppers & Crickets (Order: Orthoptera)

~30 species

Includes:

Grasshoppers

Bush crickets

Field crickets


7) Cockroaches (Order: Blattodea)

~9 species

Mostly outdoor woodland species

Few indoor pest species


8) Earwigs (Order: Dermaptera)

~4 species

Most common: European earwig


9) Dragonflies & Damselflies (Order: Odonata)

~57 species

Large, colourful wetland insects


10) Mayflies (Order: Ephemeroptera)

~50 species

Short-lived adults

Important freshwater indicators


11) Stoneflies (Order: Plecoptera)

~35 species

Clean river specialists


12) Caddisflies (Order: Trichoptera)

~200 species

Aquatic larvae build protective cases


13) Lacewings & Allies (Order: Neuroptera)

~70 species

Includes green lacewings & antlions


14) Thrips (Order: Thysanoptera)

~150 species

Tiny, slender insects


15) Booklice (Order: Psocoptera)

~100 species

Mostly small, overlooked insects


Total Insect Diversity in the UK

Beetles: 4,000+

Flies: 7,000+

Bees/Wasps/Ants: 7,000+

Moths/Butterflies: 2,500+

Other Orders Combined: ~3,000

Total: 24,000+ species


Important Notes

New species are recorded almost every year.

Many are tiny parasitic wasps or flies.

Some species are native; others are long-established non-natives.

Numbers exclude non-insect arthropods (spiders, mites, millipedes).

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