clay triple-lines vs Common Sun Beetle

Cyclophora linearia compared with Amara aenea

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	clay triple-lines	Common Sun Beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Geometridae	Carabidae
Genus	Cyclophora	Amara
Species	Cyclophora linearia	Amara aenea

Evolutionary Relationship

clay triple-lines and Common Sun Beetle share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

clay triple-lines

LC — Least Concern

Common Sun Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	clay triple-lines	Common Sun Beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

clay triple-lines

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Sun Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

clay triple-lines

The Clay Triple-lines, Cyclophora linearia, is a geometrid moth in the family Geometridae found across Europe and temperate Asia, inhabiting deciduous woodland, hedgerows, and scrubby areas where its larval host plant beech (Fagus sylvatica) is present. The forewings are pale clay-buff to cream, crossed by three distinct darker brown or ochreous lines from which the common name derives, with a small darker discal spot. The hindwings are similarly patterned but slightly paler. The species is well camouflaged at rest on bark and dead wood. Adults are crepuscular and nocturnal, flying in two generations per year in much of its range, with adults on the wing in spring and again in summer. The larvae feed on the young leaves of beech trees, and the species is strongly associated with mature beech woodland throughout its range. As beech woodland becomes increasingly threatened by climate change, drought stress, and changing forest management practices across Europe, specialist beech-associated insects like the Clay Triple-lines may face habitat contractions. The species is currently widespread and not considered globally threatened, but national populations show variation in abundance tied to the health of beech forest habitats.

Common Sun Beetle

<em>Amara aenea</em>, the common sun beetle, is a carabid ground beetle in the family Carabidae, order Coleoptera. It is broadly distributed across Europe and has been introduced to North America, typically inhabiting open, sunny habitats such as arable fields, grasslands, sandy heathlands, and disturbed ground with sparse vegetation. Adults are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, small invertebrates, and plant material, and are considered important predators of weed seeds in agricultural systems. <em>Amara aenea</em> is surface-active during warm, dry conditions, typically exhibiting peak activity in late spring and summer. Like many carabid beetles, it is nocturnal and shelters under stones and debris during the day. Larvae develop in the soil, where they also feed on organic matter and small invertebrates. Biological traits including precise adult lifespan, body length measurements, and detailed prey preferences remain poorly documented at the species level. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide distribution, high adaptability to disturbed environments, and no significant known threats to global population status.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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