Arctic Smudge vs Polar bear

Plutella haasi compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

• Arctic Smudge is Near Threatened while Polar bear is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic Smudge	Polar bear
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Plutellidae	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Plutella	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Plutella haasi	Ursus maritimus

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic Smudge and Polar bear share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Arctic Smudge

NT — Near Threatened

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic Smudge	Polar bear
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	25 years
Average Length	—	2.4 m
Average Weight	—	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic Smudge

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Polar bear

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Arctic Smudge

The Arctic Smudge (Plutella haasi) is a species in the genus Plutella. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Polar bear

The largest land carnivore on Earth, polar bears can exceed 700 kg and are found across Arctic sea ice from Canada to Russia. Highly specialized marine mammals that rely on sea ice to hunt ringed and bearded seals. Excellent swimmers capable of covering vast distances in open water. Listed as Vulnerable, with populations under severe pressure from rapid Arctic sea ice loss due to climate change.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway