Common harp ground beetle vs common sea-lavender

Amara communis compared with Limonium vulgare

Key Differences

• Common harp ground beetle is Least Concern while common sea-lavender is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common harp ground beetle	common sea-lavender
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family	Carabidae	Plumbaginaceae
Genus	Amara	Limonium
Species	Amara communis	Limonium vulgare

Conservation Status

Common harp ground beetle

LC — Least Concern

common sea-lavender

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common harp ground beetle	common sea-lavender
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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 sea-lavender

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

common sea-lavender

<em>Limonium vulgare</em>, the common sea lavender, is a perennial halophytic plant in the family Plumbaginaceae, order Caryophyllales, native to saltmarshes and coastal mudflats of Europe and North America. This species is a characteristic component of mid-marsh vegetation zones, thriving in the periodically inundated, saline soils of estuaries and tidal flats. It produces dense clusters of small, lilac-purple flowers on branching stems from late summer onward, providing an important nectar source for pollinators. Critically, <em>Limonium vulgare</em> is classified as Endangered by the IUCN, reflecting severe population declines driven by saltmarsh loss, coastal development, sea-level rise, and agricultural conversion of intertidal habitats. Its restricted habitat specificity makes it particularly vulnerable to coastal modification. Conservation efforts for this species focus on protecting and restoring saltmarsh ecosystems across its declining range. Biological traits for this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, including comprehensive quantitative data on individual lifespan, precise plant dimensions, and dietary ecology, though its photosynthetic, halophytic strategy and pollinator relationships are recognized aspects of its biology.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

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