Clover slender vs Cluster Bat

Parectopa ononidis compared with Myotis sodalis

Key Differences

• Clover slender is Endangered while Cluster Bat is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clover slender	Cluster Bat
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Gracillariidae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Parectopa	Myotis
Species	Parectopa ononidis	Myotis sodalis

Evolutionary Relationship

Clover slender and Cluster Bat share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Clover slender

EN — Endangered

Cluster Bat

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clover slender	Cluster Bat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clover slender

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cluster Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Clover slender

The clover slender moth (Parectopa ononidis) is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. Native to Europe, this species specializes on restharrow plants (Ononis species) in the legume family Fabaceae as its larval host. Like other Parectopa species, the larvae create distinctive blotch mines in the leaves of their host plants, feeding on the leaf tissue within the epidermis. The adult moth is typically small and narrow-winged, characteristic of the gracillariid family, with patterned forewings. This species inhabits dry grasslands, calcareous meadows, and scrubby areas where its restharrow host plants grow. It has been recorded across parts of central and western Europe, including the British Isles and continental regions. Parectopa ononidis is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its restricted habitat requirements and sensitivity to agricultural intensification, which has led to widespread loss of the dry calcareous grasslands it depends on. Conservation efforts for this species focus on maintaining traditional land management practices such as light grazing that support diverse wildflower communities including restharrow.

Cluster Bat

Myotis sodalis, the Indiana bat or cluster bat, is a medium-sized insectivorous bat in the family Vespertilionidae endemic to the eastern United States. It is one of the most endangered bats in North America, listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. The species is named for its behavior of clustering in extremely dense hibernation groups—sometimes thousands of bats per square meter—in specific limestone caves and mines during winter. These few critical hibernacula make the species extremely vulnerable to disturbance and disease. Since 2007, Indiana bats have suffered severe mortality from white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans that disrupts hibernation and causes mass starvation. During summer, Indiana bats roost under loose bark of dead trees and forage for insects over forested landscapes and riparian areas. Foraging individuals consume moths, beetles, and flying insects. Conservation efforts include cave gate protection, white-nose syndrome research, and summer habitat management on public and private lands across the eastern US.