Bosnian Blue vs Clover slender

Agriades dardanus compared with Parectopa ononidis

Key Differences

• Bosnian Blue is Near Threatened while Clover slender is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bosnian Blue	Clover slender
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Lycaenidae	Gracillariidae
Genus	Agriades	Parectopa
Species	Agriades dardanus	Parectopa ononidis

Evolutionary Relationship

Bosnian Blue and Clover slender share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

Bosnian Blue

NT — Near Threatened

Clover slender

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bosnian Blue	Clover slender
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bosnian Blue

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Clover slender

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Bosnian Blue

The Bosnian Blue (Agriades dardanus) is a species in the genus Agriades. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Clover slender

The clover slender moth (Parectopa ononidis) is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. Native to Europe, this species specializes on restharrow plants (Ononis species) in the legume family Fabaceae as its larval host. Like other Parectopa species, the larvae create distinctive blotch mines in the leaves of their host plants, feeding on the leaf tissue within the epidermis. The adult moth is typically small and narrow-winged, characteristic of the gracillariid family, with patterned forewings. This species inhabits dry grasslands, calcareous meadows, and scrubby areas where its restharrow host plants grow. It has been recorded across parts of central and western Europe, including the British Isles and continental regions. Parectopa ononidis is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its restricted habitat requirements and sensitivity to agricultural intensification, which has led to widespread loss of the dry calcareous grasslands it depends on. Conservation efforts for this species focus on maintaining traditional land management practices such as light grazing that support diverse wildflower communities including restharrow.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇷🇺 Russia 🇺🇦 Ukraine