clouded magpie vs common wainscot

Abraxas sylvata compared with Mythimna pallens

Key Differences

• clouded magpie is Vulnerable while common wainscot is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	clouded magpie	common wainscot
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Geometridae	Noctuidae
Genus	Abraxas	Mythimna
Species	Abraxas sylvata	Mythimna pallens

Evolutionary Relationship

clouded magpie and common wainscot share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

clouded magpie

VU — Vulnerable

common wainscot

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	clouded magpie	common wainscot
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 wainscot

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, 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 wainscot

<em>Mythimna pallens</em>, commonly known as the common wainscot, is a medium-sized moth in the family Noctuidae within the order Lepidoptera, widely distributed across Europe and central Asia. Its range extends from the British Isles and Scandinavia eastward through Russia and into central Asia, with additional populations reported in North Africa and the Near East. <em>Mythimna pallens</em> typically inhabits a broad range of open and semi-open habitats including grasslands, meadows, woodland clearings, fens, marshes, and agricultural land where grasses are abundant. The forewings are pale straw-yellow to ochreous with faint pale streaking along the veins, providing effective camouflage against dry grass stems during daytime rest. Larvae are polyphagous, feeding nocturnally on the leaves and stems of a wide variety of grass species (Poaceae) and occasionally other low-growing plants. The species typically produces one to two generations per year depending on latitude, with adults flying from early summer through autumn. <em>Mythimna pallens</em> is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with populations generally stable across its European range, though some local declines have been associated with agricultural intensification and loss of unimproved grasslands. Biological traits such as average adult lifespan, wingspan measurements, and body weight remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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