common dog-violet vs Common harp ground beetle

Viola riviniana compared with Amara communis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common dog-violet	Common harp ground beetle
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Violaceae	Carabidae
Genus	Viola	Amara
Species	Viola riviniana	Amara communis

Conservation Status

common dog-violet

LC — Least Concern

Common harp ground beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common dog-violet	Common harp ground beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

common dog-violet

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (7 countries), North America (Canada), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Common harp ground beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

common dog-violet

<em>Viola riviniana</em>, the common dog-violet, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Violaceae. This species is widely distributed across Europe, including records from seven European countries, as well as Canada and Australia, where it occupies diverse terrestrial habitats such as woodlands, hedgerows, grasslands, and moorlands. The common dog-violet is characterized by its heart-shaped leaves and violet-blue, spurred flowers that typically bloom from spring through early summer. Unlike many violets, its flowers are unscented. <em>Viola riviniana</em> often spreads both by seed and vegetatively via rhizomes, forming patches in suitable habitats. This species is an important larval food plant for several fritillary butterfly species, making it ecologically significant for butterfly conservation in Britain and Europe. It generally favors well-drained, slightly acidic soils in partially shaded environments. The common dog-violet is assessed as Least Concern, with stable populations across most of its range. Its adaptation to a variety of woodland and grassland habitats contributes to its widespread occurrence.

Common harp ground beetle

The common harp ground beetle, <em>Amara communis</em>, is an insect belonging to the order Coleoptera, family Carabidae, the ground beetles. This species is distributed across Europe and North America, indicating a wide Holarctic range. Ground beetles of the genus Amara are typically found in a variety of terrestrial habitats including grasslands, agricultural fields, woodland margins, and disturbed areas. Members of this genus are generally omnivorous or seed-feeding, and some are known to consume weed seeds, giving them potential ecological significance in agroecosystems. <em>Amara communis</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting stable populations across its range. No dietary information has been provided specifically for this species in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden