Common Orange Legionnaire vs gray wolf

Beris vallata compared with Canis lupus

Key Differences

• Common Orange Legionnaire is Near Threatened while gray wolf is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Orange Legionnaire	gray wolf
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Stratiomyidae	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Beris	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)
Species	Beris vallata	Canis lupus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Orange Legionnaire and gray wolf share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Orange Legionnaire

NT — Near Threatened

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Orange Legionnaire	gray wolf
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	13 years
Average Length	—	1.6 m
Average Weight	—	45.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Orange Legionnaire

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

gray wolf

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Orange Legionnaire

<em>Beris vallata</em> is a soldier fly in the family Stratiomyidae, known from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in northern Europe. The species inhabits a broad range of terrestrial and freshwater environments, including woodland edges, hedgerows, stream margins, and moist meadows where decaying organic matter supports larval development. Larvae of Beris species typically develop in rotting wood, leaf litter, damp soil, or organic debris, while adults are often found visiting flowers for nectar and pollen. The IUCN classifies this species as Near Threatened, indicating that it faces meaningful risk factors that could elevate its status if current trends continue. Pressures likely include habitat degradation, loss of traditional woodland management practices, and the decline of dead wood microhabitats essential for larval stages. The species has a restricted distribution confined to northern European countries and may be sensitive to changes in woodland structure and composition. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body length, body weight, and detailed dietary studies remain poorly documented in standardized ecological databases for this dipteran species. Continued monitoring of woodland habitats across its range is important for its long-term conservation.

gray wolf

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden