Bank Vole vs common swift

Myodes glareolus compared with Korscheltellus lupulina

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bank Vole	common swift
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Cricetidae	Hepialidae
Genus	Myodes	Korscheltellus
Species	Myodes glareolus	Korscheltellus lupulina

Evolutionary Relationship

Bank Vole and common swift share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Bank Vole

LC — Least Concern

common swift

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bank Vole	common swift
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bank Vole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada).

common swift

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Bank Vole

Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

common swift

<em>Korscheltellus lupulina</em>, the common swift moth or ghost swift, is a moth in the family Hepialidae, order Lepidoptera. It is recorded from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, with a broader distribution across Europe and temperate Asia. The species typically inhabits grasslands, meadows, garden lawns, and field margins where its larval host plants grow. Adult ghost swifts are notable for their spectacular lek-like swarming behavior at dusk, in which males hover in groups to attract females, appearing to hover like ghosts over vegetation. Larvae of <em>Korscheltellus lupulina</em> feed underground on the roots of a variety of herbaceous plants and grasses, including hop (Humulus lupulus), which gives the species its specific name. Adults do not feed, having vestigial mouthparts, and live only long enough to reproduce. Biological traits including precise larval duration, adult size measurements, and detailed host plant specificity remain poorly documented at the species level. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with stable populations across its European range and no significant conservation threats identified.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden