Dover Shade vs European polecat

Cnephasia genitalana compared with Mustela putorius

Key Differences

• Dover Shade is Least Concern while European polecat is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dover Shade	European polecat
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Tortricidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Cnephasia	Mustela
Species	Cnephasia genitalana	Mustela putorius

Evolutionary Relationship

Dover Shade and European polecat share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Dover Shade

LC — Least Concern

European polecat

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dover Shade	European polecat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dover Shade

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

European polecat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (10 countries) and South America (Brazil, Colombia). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

European polecat

European polecat (Mustela putorius) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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