Common Pipistrelle vs Large Copper

Pipistrellus pipistrellus compared with Lycaena dispar

Key Differences

• Common Pipistrelle is Vulnerable while Large Copper is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Pipistrelle	Large Copper
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Vespertilionidae	Lycaenidae
Genus	Pipistrellus	Lycaena
Species	Pipistrellus pipistrellus	Lycaena dispar

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Common Pipistrelle

VU — Vulnerable

Large Copper

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Pipistrelle	Large Copper
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Pipistrelle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Large Copper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (33 countries).

Common Pipistrelle

<em>Pipistrellus pipistrellus</em>, the common pipistrelle, is a small bat in the family Vespertilionidae and one of the most abundant and widespread bat species in Europe. It is typically one of the first bats to emerge at dusk, flying with rapid, jerky wingbeats as it pursues small flying insects over gardens, woodland edges, water bodies, and urban areas. The species roosts in crevices in buildings, bat boxes, and tree holes, often forming large maternity colonies in summer. <em>Pipistrellus pipistrellus</em> echolocates at a characteristic frequency of around 45 kHz, which allows it to be identified using bat detectors. It is distributed across Europe, with confirmed records from Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Portugal, among many other countries. The species is assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population declines driven by loss of foraging habitat, reduction in insect prey biomass, disturbance of roost sites, and pesticide use. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body size, weight, and detailed dietary composition across its range remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, though the species is known to consume large numbers of small moths, midges, and other aerial insects each night.

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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine