Common Globe-Thistle vs Large Copper

Echinops sphaerocephalus compared with Lycaena dispar

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Globe-Thistle	Large Copper
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Tenrecidae	Lycaenidae
Genus	Echinops	Lycaena
Species	Echinops sphaerocephalus	Lycaena dispar

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Globe-Thistle and Large Copper share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Globe-Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Large Copper

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Globe-Thistle	Large Copper
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Globe-Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Large Copper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (33 countries).

Common Globe-Thistle

<em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em>, commonly known as the common globe-thistle or great globe-thistle, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae. The species has a distribution spanning Europe, North America, and Oceania, with naturalization in several regions outside its native southern and central European range. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> typically inhabits dry, open, and disturbed habitats including roadsides, waste ground, rocky slopes, and steppe grasslands, where it is well adapted to poor, well-drained soils. It produces distinctive spherical, steel-blue flower heads that are highly attractive to pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, making it a valued plant in native garden planting and ecological restoration. The species is not currently evaluated for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> is a robust, spiny plant that can grow to considerable height and spreads readily in suitable open habitats. Its ornamental qualities and pollinator value have contributed to its deliberate planting in gardens and public green spaces beyond its native range.

Large Copper

Large Copper (Lycaena dispar) is classified as Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List. Not yet evaluated against IUCN Red List criteria. Conservation status remains to be determined.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 15 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇵🇱 Poland 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom