Eurasian beaver vs Yellow-legged Clearwing

Castor fiber compared with Synanthedon vespiformis

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while Yellow-legged Clearwing is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	Yellow-legged Clearwing
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Sesiidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Synanthedon
Species	Castor fiber	Synanthedon vespiformis

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian beaver and Yellow-legged Clearwing share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Yellow-legged Clearwing

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	Yellow-legged Clearwing
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eurasian beaver

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Yellow-legged Clearwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Eurasian beaver

Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) 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