Common Lacehopper vs Scarlet Macaw

Cixius nervosus compared with Ara macao

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Lacehopper	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Cixiidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Cixius	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Cixius nervosus	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Lacehopper and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Lacehopper

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Lacehopper	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Lacehopper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Scarlet Macaw

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of its range.

Common Lacehopper

The Common Lacehopper (<em>Cixius nervosus</em>) is a planthopper insect in the family Cixiidae, classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is native to Europe, with records from five European countries, and also occurs in the United States in North America. The species typically inhabits virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats within its range, demonstrating broad ecological tolerance. Lacehoppers are hemipteran insects that feed on plant sap and are often associated with roots or low-growing vegetation. Adults typically emerge in summer and are capable of short flights between host plants. The Common Lacehopper's widespread distribution and occurrence across a variety of natural and semi-natural habitats support its stable conservation status. Its role in food webs as a prey item for insectivorous birds and other invertebrate predators gives it ecological significance within temperate ecosystems. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Scarlet Macaw

One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the Americas, scarlet macaws display vivid red, yellow, and blue plumage with wingspans reaching 1 meter. Found in humid lowland forests from Mexico to Bolivia, they are highly intelligent, long-lived — up to 75 years — and form lifelong pair bonds. They travel long distances to clay licks where they consume mineral-rich soil to detoxify seeds. Listed as Least Concern but locally threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway