brittlestar vs Common Lacehopper

Amphiura filiformis compared with Cixius nervosus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brittlestar	Common Lacehopper
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Echinodermata (Echinoderms)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Ophiuroidea (Ophiuroidea)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Amphilepidida (Amphilepidida)	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)
Family	Amphiuridae	Cixiidae
Genus	Amphiura	Cixius
Species	Amphiura filiformis	Cixius nervosus

Evolutionary Relationship

brittlestar and Common Lacehopper share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

brittlestar

LC — Least Concern

Common Lacehopper

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brittlestar	Common Lacehopper
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

brittlestar

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Lacehopper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

brittlestar

The Brittlestar (Amphiura filiformis) is a species in the genus Amphiura. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Common Lacehopper

The Common Lacehopper (<em>Cixius nervosus</em>) is a planthopper insect in the family Cixiidae, classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is native to Europe, with records from five European countries, and also occurs in the United States in North America. The species typically inhabits virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats within its range, demonstrating broad ecological tolerance. Lacehoppers are hemipteran insects that feed on plant sap and are often associated with roots or low-growing vegetation. Adults typically emerge in summer and are capable of short flights between host plants. The Common Lacehopper's widespread distribution and occurrence across a variety of natural and semi-natural habitats support its stable conservation status. Its role in food webs as a prey item for insectivorous birds and other invertebrate predators gives it ecological significance within temperate ecosystems. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden