Anthracite Bee-fly vs small skipper

Anthrax anthrax compared with Thymelicus sylvestris

Key Differences

• Anthracite Bee-fly is Least Concern while small skipper is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Anthracite Bee-fly	small skipper
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	Hesperiidae
Genus	Anthrax	Thymelicus
Species	Anthrax anthrax	Thymelicus sylvestris

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Anthracite Bee-fly

LC — Least Concern

small skipper

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Anthracite Bee-fly	small skipper
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.

small skipper

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found across Europe (37 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable 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.

small skipper

small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden