Barred Elm Pigmy vs Common Thorn Pigmy

Stigmella ulmivora compared with Stigmella crataegella

Key Differences

• Barred Elm Pigmy is Endangered while Common Thorn Pigmy is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Barred Elm Pigmy	Common Thorn Pigmy
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family same	Nepticulidae	Nepticulidae
Genus same	Stigmella	Stigmella
Species	Stigmella ulmivora	Stigmella crataegella

Evolutionary Relationship

Barred Elm Pigmy and Common Thorn Pigmy share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Stigmella.

Conservation Status

Barred Elm Pigmy

EN — Endangered

Common Thorn Pigmy

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Barred Elm Pigmy	Common Thorn Pigmy
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Barred Elm Pigmy

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Common Thorn Pigmy

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden.

Barred Elm Pigmy

The Barred Elm Pigmy (Stigmella ulmivora) is a species in the genus Stigmella. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Common Thorn Pigmy

<em>Stigmella crataegella</em>, the common thorn pigmy, is a tiny moth in the family Nepticulidae, recorded from Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Like other nepticulid moths, this species is a leaf miner; its larvae feed within the leaves of hawthorn (<em>Crataegus</em>) species, creating characteristic galleries or blotch mines visible on host leaves. Adults are among the smallest Lepidoptera, with wingspans typically only a few millimeters, and are distinguished by metallic forewing coloration. The species completes one or more generations per year, with adult emergence typically in spring and summer. It inhabits hedgerows, scrub, woodland edges, and gardens where hawthorn is present. Diet of larvae consists of hawthorn leaf tissue; adults typically do not feed. The nepticulid moths are a highly speciose family, and many species remain poorly studied. Biological traits such as precise adult body weight, lifespan, and larval development times remain poorly documented in standardized scientific assessments for this species.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden