Common Spreadwing vs European hamster

Lestes sponsa compared with Cricetus cricetus

Key Differences

• Common Spreadwing is Least Concern while European hamster is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Spreadwing	European hamster
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Lestidae	Cricetidae
Genus	Lestes	Cricetus
Species	Lestes sponsa	Cricetus cricetus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Spreadwing and European hamster share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Spreadwing

LC — Least Concern

European hamster

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Spreadwing	European hamster
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

European hamster

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Russia, and Ukraine. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Spreadwing

Common Spreadwing (Lestes sponsa) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark