clouded magpie vs Common Field Grasshopper

Abraxas sylvata compared with Chorthippus brunneus

Key Differences

• clouded magpie is Vulnerable while Common Field Grasshopper is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	clouded magpie	Common Field Grasshopper
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Orthoptera (Orthoptera)
Family	Geometridae	Acrididae
Genus	Abraxas	Chorthippus
Species	Abraxas sylvata	Chorthippus brunneus

Evolutionary Relationship

clouded magpie and Common Field Grasshopper share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

clouded magpie

VU — Vulnerable

Common Field Grasshopper

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	clouded magpie	Common Field Grasshopper
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 Field Grasshopper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

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 Field Grasshopper

The Common Field Grasshopper (<em>Chorthippus brunneus</em>) is an orthopteran insect belonging to the genus Chorthippus within the family Acrididae. It is one of the most frequently encountered grasshoppers in northern and western Europe, typically inhabiting dry, open areas such as grasslands, heathlands, roadsides, and disturbed ground. The species is often found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats across its range. Geographically, <em>Chorthippus brunneus</em> is distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden, among other European countries. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Adults are typically brown to grey in colouration with variable patterning, and males often produce a distinctive short, chirping song used in courtship. As a herbivore, this grasshopper typically feeds on grasses and other low-growing vegetation. Biological traits including average lifespan and body dimensions remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, though adults in temperate regions typically appear from mid-summer through autumn.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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