Blackthorn Mining Bee vs Common thrips

Andrena varians compared with Aptinothrips rufus

Key Differences

• Blackthorn Mining Bee is Least Concern while Common thrips is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackthorn Mining Bee	Common thrips
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Thysanoptera (Thysanoptera)
Family	Andrenidae	Thripidae
Genus	Andrena	Aptinothrips
Species	Andrena varians	Aptinothrips rufus

Evolutionary Relationship

Blackthorn Mining Bee and Common thrips share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Blackthorn Mining Bee

LC — Least Concern

Common thrips

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blackthorn Mining Bee	Common thrips
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blackthorn Mining Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Common thrips

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Blackthorn Mining Bee

The Blackthorn Mining Bee (Andrena varians) is a species in the genus Andrena. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Common thrips

<em>Aptinothrips rufus</em>, the common thrips, is a small insect in the order Thysanoptera, family Thripidae, recorded from five European countries including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, as well as the United States. It is Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List. This species is primarily a grass-feeding thrips, found on grasses and grassland vegetation across temperate regions. The name "rufus" refers to the reddish-brown coloration of adults. Like other thrips, adults are minute insects, typically 1–2 millimeters long, with fringed wings adapted for flight and dispersal across grass habitats. Populations can be locally abundant in grasslands during warm summer months. <em>Aptinothrips rufus</em> feeds by piercing plant cells and extracting sap, primarily from grass blades and stems. It typically completes multiple generations per year under favorable conditions. The species has limited direct agricultural significance compared to some other thrips pests, but plays a role in grassland ecosystems. Biological traits such as precise body weight, longevity, and egg production figures remain poorly documented in standardized scientific assessments.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden