common wave vs Red Fox

Cabera exanthemata compared with Vulpes vulpes

Taxonomic Classification

Rank common wave Red Fox
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) Chordata (Chordates)
Class Insecta (Insects) Mammalia (Mammals)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths) Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family Geometridae Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus Cabera Vulpes (Foxes)
Species Cabera exanthemata Vulpes vulpes

Evolutionary Relationship

common wave and Red Fox share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

common wave

LC — Least Concern

Red Fox

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute common wave Red Fox
Diet Omnivore
Average Lifespan 5 years
Average Length 70 cm
Average Weight 6.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

common wave

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Red Fox

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus, Israel), Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina).

common wave

<em>Cabera exanthemata</em>, commonly known as the common wave, is a moth in the family Geometridae, distributed across much of Europe, with confirmed records from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating a stable population with no major threats currently identified. The species is associated with deciduous woodland habitats, particularly areas with abundant birch, alder, and willow trees, which serve as larval host plants. Adults are pale whitish-gray with a series of fine, wavy darker cross-lines on the wings — a pattern typical of many geometrid moths that provides camouflage against lichen-covered tree bark. <em>Cabera exanthemata</em> typically produces two or three generations per year depending on latitude, with adults typically on the wing from May through August. Larvae feed on the foliage of various deciduous trees and overwinter as pupae in the soil or leaf litter. The species is primarily nocturnal as an adult, attracted to light sources during flight periods. Biological traits including average lifespan, wingspan dimensions, and mass remain poorly documented in standardized databases. Ecologically, the common wave contributes to forest food webs as both a herbivore during its larval stage and as a food resource for insectivorous birds and bats during its adult flight period throughout its temperate European and North American range.

Red Fox

The most widespread wild carnivore on Earth, red foxes have colonized habitats from Arctic tundra to urban environments across the Northern Hemisphere and introduced ranges in Australia. Recognized by their russet coat, white belly, and bushy tail. Highly adaptable omnivores, red foxes eat everything from rabbits and voles to fruit and human refuse. They communicate with over 40 distinct vocalizations.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

Nature FYI Family

Explore more of the natural world across our sister sites.

Part of the Nature FYI family — FYIPedia