Brook Thistle vs Common Roller

Cirsium rivulare compared with Ancylis badiana

Key Differences

• Brook Thistle is Extinct while Common Roller is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brook Thistle	Common Roller
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Tortricidae
Genus	Cirsium	Ancylis
Species	Cirsium rivulare	Ancylis badiana

Conservation Status

Brook Thistle

EX — Extinct

Common Roller

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brook Thistle	Common Roller
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brook Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries).

Common Roller

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Brook Thistle

The Brook Thistle (Cirsium rivulare) is a species in the genus Cirsium. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Common Roller

<em>Ancylis badiana</em>, the common roller, is a small moth in the family Tortricidae, order Lepidoptera. It is distributed across northwestern Europe, with documented records from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, typically inhabiting woodland margins, hedgerows, scrubland, and areas where its larval host plants are abundant. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Tortricid moths in the genus Ancylis are commonly known as "rollers" or "leafrollers" because their larvae typically roll or fold leaves of host plants to create sheltered feeding structures. <em>Ancylis badiana</em> larvae feed on the foliage of various herbaceous plants, particularly species in the pea family (Fabaceae). Adults are small moths with intricately patterned wings that provide camouflage against bark and plant material. Adult moths are primarily nocturnal and are attracted to light, while larvae are cryptic within their leaf shelters. Biological traits such as lifespan, body measurements, and detailed diet host range remain poorly documented beyond general family-level characteristics. The species typically completes one to two generations per year in temperate European climates, overwintering as pupae. It is considered a minor component of invertebrate biodiversity in European lowland habitats.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden