Mass Extinction of Insects May Be Occurring Undetected

The term 'endangered species' typically conjures up images of charismatic animals—tigers, pandas, orangutans, whales, condors. But a new study says that the vast majority of species on the verge of extinction is in fact humble insects.

The study estimates that up to 44,000 bugs of all varieties could have been wiped off the face of the Earth during the last 600 years. And hundreds of thousands more insect species could be lost over the next 50 years.

Only about 70 insect extinctions have been documented since the 15th century, possibly because many insects have been poorly studied.