Common Feverfew vs Common Sun Beetle

Tanacetum parthenium compared with Amara aenea

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Feverfew	Common Sun Beetle
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Carabidae
Genus	Tanacetum	Amara
Species	Tanacetum parthenium	Amara aenea

Conservation Status

Common Feverfew

LC — Least Concern

Common Sun Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Feverfew	Common Sun Beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Feverfew

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus, India, Japan), Europe (27 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (6 countries).

Common Sun Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Common Feverfew

Common Feverfew (<em>Tanacetum parthenium</em>) is a flowering herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Tanacetum within the family Asteraceae. It is characterised by its aromatic foliage and clusters of small daisy-like flowers with white ray petals surrounding yellow disc florets. The species typically inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm, and is also often found in disturbed habitats, roadsides, walls, and garden margins. Its geographic range is exceptionally wide, spanning Asia including Cyprus, India, and Japan, 27 European countries, North America including Canada, Mexico, and the United States, Australia, and multiple South American countries. <em>Tanacetum parthenium</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The plant has a long history of medicinal use, particularly in the treatment of migraines and fevers, from which its common name derives. Biological traits including average lifespan and detailed ecological data remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, though it typically grows as a short-lived perennial or biennial.

Common Sun Beetle

<em>Amara aenea</em>, the common sun beetle, is a carabid ground beetle in the family Carabidae, order Coleoptera. It is broadly distributed across Europe and has been introduced to North America, typically inhabiting open, sunny habitats such as arable fields, grasslands, sandy heathlands, and disturbed ground with sparse vegetation. Adults are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, small invertebrates, and plant material, and are considered important predators of weed seeds in agricultural systems. <em>Amara aenea</em> is surface-active during warm, dry conditions, typically exhibiting peak activity in late spring and summer. Like many carabid beetles, it is nocturnal and shelters under stones and debris during the day. Larvae develop in the soil, where they also feed on organic matter and small invertebrates. Biological traits including precise adult lifespan, body length measurements, and detailed prey preferences remain poorly documented at the species level. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide distribution, high adaptability to disturbed environments, and no significant known threats to global population status.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 8 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States