Anthracite Bee-fly vs Mourning Cloak

Anthrax anthrax compared with Nymphalis antiopa

Key Differences

• Anthracite Bee-fly is Least Concern while Mourning Cloak is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Anthracite Bee-fly	Mourning Cloak
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Bombyliidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Anthrax	Nymphalis
Species	Anthrax anthrax	Nymphalis antiopa

Evolutionary Relationship

Anthracite Bee-fly and Mourning Cloak share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Anthracite Bee-fly

LC — Least Concern

Mourning Cloak

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Anthracite Bee-fly	Mourning Cloak
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Anthracite Bee-fly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Mourning Cloak

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 9 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (39 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Anthracite Bee-fly

The Anthracite Bee-fly (Anthrax anthrax) is a species in the genus Anthrax. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden