Asiatic elephant vs Clover weevil

Elephas maximus compared with Sitona hispidulus

Key Differences

• Asiatic elephant is Endangered while Clover weevil is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic elephant	Clover weevil
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Curculionidae
Genus	Elephas (Asian Elephants)	Sitona
Species	Elephas maximus	Sitona hispidulus

Evolutionary Relationship

Asiatic elephant and Clover weevil share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Clover weevil

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic elephant	Clover weevil
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	60 years	—
Average Length	5.5 m	—
Average Weight	4.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Asiatic elephant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Clover weevil

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (8 countries), Europe (12 countries), and North America (Canada, United States).

Asiatic elephant

Smaller than its African cousin, Asiatic elephants range across South and Southeast Asian forests and grasslands from India to Indonesia. Distinguished by their smaller ears, rounded back, and a single finger-like projection on the trunk tip. Deeply interwoven with Asian cultures, they have been used in religious ceremonies and as working animals for millennia. Endangered, with fewer than 50,000 remaining in the wild.

Clover weevil

The clover weevil (Sitona hispidulus) is a small herbivorous beetle in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Entiminae. Native to the Palearctic region across Europe and Asia, this species has been introduced to North America, where it is now widespread across agricultural regions. Adults and larvae feed on clovers and other legumes in the genus Trifolium and related plants. Adults feed on the leaves, creating characteristic semicircular notches along leaf margins, a feeding pattern typical of Sitona weevils. Larvae feed underground on nitrogen-fixing root nodules, which can reduce the agronomic value of legume crops by damaging the symbiotic Rhizobium bacteria. The clover weevil is consequently regarded as an agricultural pest in clover-growing regions. Adults are grey-brown and densely covered in scales, measuring about 3–5 mm in length. The species overwinters as adults in soil or leaf litter, emerging in spring to feed and reproduce. It inhabits cultivated fields, pastures, meadows, roadsides, and any habitat supporting clover and related legumes. Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN given its wide distribution and abundance.