broad-bordered yellow underwing vs European otter

Noctua fimbriata compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• broad-bordered yellow underwing is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	broad-bordered yellow underwing	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Noctuidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Noctua	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Noctua fimbriata	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

broad-bordered yellow underwing and European otter share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

broad-bordered yellow underwing

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	broad-bordered yellow underwing	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

broad-bordered yellow underwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

European otter

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

broad-bordered yellow underwing

The Broad-bordered yellow underwing (Noctua fimbriata) is a species in the genus Noctua. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

European otter

Sleek semi-aquatic mustelid found along clean rivers, streams, and coastlines across Europe and Asia. European otters can reach 1.3 meters in length and are highly skilled fish hunters, using sensitive whiskers to detect prey movements. Requiring unpolluted water with abundant fish, they are an indicator species for freshwater ecosystem health. Once nearly extinct in Western Europe from hunting and pollution, populations have recovered significantly following water quality improvements.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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