May 17, 2023

EXTRAPOLATION NUMBERS IN STERNORRHYNCHA ✅

During the review of the numbers on insect diversity within the scope of the Brazilian Metazoa/Arthropoda post (LINK), it was not possible to have any estimate on the diversity of genera of the Sternorhyncha group of Hemiptera, the group of aphids and alies. As this was the only data totally absent, it was decided to create a estimate, so that in this group the average of spp./genera of the Insecta Class as a whole is maintained.

From the data collected, without Sternorrhyncha, the Insecta class has 1,029,744 spp. in 87,613 genera, giving an average of 11.753 spp./genus. Taking this number to Sternorrhycha, which has 18,690 spp., we have the number of 1,590 genera, already rounded.

We could have estimated by the average of the other suborders of Hemiptera, which would give 7.237 spp./genus, in such a way that Sternorrhyncha, maintaining this average, would have 2,582 genera. However, the first choice maintains the average in the Insecta class, which was considered more convenient.

Finally, this estimate will be abandoned as soon as reliable data on this number is detected.