Alien field ant vs Common Sun Beetle

Lasius alienus compared with Amara aenea

Key Differences

• Alien field ant is Data Deficient while Common Sun Beetle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alien field ant	Common Sun Beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Formicidae	Carabidae
Genus	Lasius	Amara
Species	Lasius alienus	Amara aenea

Evolutionary Relationship

Alien field ant and Common Sun Beetle share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Alien field ant

DD — Data Deficient

Common Sun Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alien field ant	Common Sun Beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alien field ant

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (United States).

Common Sun Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Alien field ant

The Alien field ant (Lasius alienus) is a species in the genus Lasius. Its conservation status is listed as Data Deficient, indicating insufficient data for assessment. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Common Sun Beetle

<em>Amara aenea</em>, the common sun beetle, is a carabid ground beetle in the family Carabidae, order Coleoptera. It is broadly distributed across Europe and has been introduced to North America, typically inhabiting open, sunny habitats such as arable fields, grasslands, sandy heathlands, and disturbed ground with sparse vegetation. Adults are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, small invertebrates, and plant material, and are considered important predators of weed seeds in agricultural systems. <em>Amara aenea</em> is surface-active during warm, dry conditions, typically exhibiting peak activity in late spring and summer. Like many carabid beetles, it is nocturnal and shelters under stones and debris during the day. Larvae develop in the soil, where they also feed on organic matter and small invertebrates. Biological traits including precise adult lifespan, body length measurements, and detailed prey preferences remain poorly documented at the species level. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide distribution, high adaptability to disturbed environments, and no significant known threats to global population status.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States