Clover slender vs Dusky Slender Opossum

Parectopa ononidis compared with Marmosops fuscatus

Key Differences

• Clover slender is Endangered while Dusky Slender Opossum is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clover slender	Dusky Slender Opossum
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)
Family	Gracillariidae	Didelphidae
Genus	Parectopa	Marmosops
Species	Parectopa ononidis	Marmosops fuscatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Clover slender and Dusky Slender Opossum share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Clover slender

EN — Endangered

Dusky Slender Opossum

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clover slender	Dusky Slender Opossum
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.

Dusky Slender Opossum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Venezuela.

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.