Lesser Noctule vs Thyme Plume

Nyctalus leisleri compared with Merrifieldia leucodactyla

Key Differences

• Lesser Noctule is Endangered while Thyme Plume is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Lesser Noctule	Thyme Plume
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Vespertilionidae	Pterophoridae
Genus	Nyctalus	Merrifieldia
Species	Nyctalus leisleri	Merrifieldia leucodactyla

Evolutionary Relationship

Lesser Noctule and Thyme Plume share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Lesser Noctule

EN — Endangered

Thyme Plume

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Lesser Noctule	Thyme Plume
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Lesser Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

Thyme Plume

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Algeria, Morocco), Asia (7 countries), and Europe (35 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine