clouded magpie vs Common Daisy

Abraxas sylvata compared with Leucanthemum vulgare

Key Differences

clouded magpie is Vulnerable while Common Daisy is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	clouded magpie	Common Daisy
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Geometridae	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Abraxas	Leucanthemum
Species	Abraxas sylvata	Leucanthemum vulgare

Conservation Status

clouded magpie

VU — Vulnerable

Common Daisy

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	clouded magpie	Common Daisy
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

clouded magpie

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Daisy

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (8 countries), Europe (10 countries), North America (Canada, Costa Rica, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (5 countries).

clouded magpie

The clouded magpie (Abraxas sylvata) is a geometrid moth in the family Geometridae found across temperate Europe, extending eastward through Russia to Japan. The adult wingspan measures approximately 32–42 mm, with white wings bearing a distinctive pattern of yellow-orange and dark grey to black spots and patches arranged in rows across the forewing and hindwing, creating a striking patterned appearance resembling the magpie coloring of the related magpie moth Abraxas grossulariata, but with a more yellowish, muted tone and less black — hence 'clouded.' Adults fly in one generation from June to July, resting on leaf surfaces and attending woodland flowers for nectar. The larvae feed on wych elm (Ulmus glabra) and occasionally other Ulmus species in mature deciduous woodland and woodland edges. The clouded magpie has become less common in parts of its European range due to the widespread loss of mature elms from Dutch elm disease, which devastated European elm populations from the 1970s onward. Conservation of this species requires the protection of surviving mature elm trees and management of regrowth elms in woodland ecosystems.

Common Daisy

<em>Leucanthemum vulgare</em>, the common daisy, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. This species has a broad global distribution, occurring across diverse terrestrial habitats on multiple continents, including meadows, pastures, roadsides, and disturbed ground. The common daisy is characterized by its bright white ray florets surrounding a yellow disc, a floral arrangement that is one of the most recognized in temperate landscapes. It typically grows to 20–70 centimeters in height and produces flowers from late spring through summer. <em>Leucanthemum vulgare</em> often spreads readily via wind-dispersed achenes and can form dense stands in grasslands and disturbed soils. The species is considered a generalist and is tolerant of a wide range of soil types and light conditions. It has been widely introduced beyond its native Eurasian range and is sometimes regarded as an invasive species in parts of North America and Australasia. Biological traits of this species remain generally well-documented given its widespread occurrence and ecological significance as a pollinator-supporting plant.