Marley’s Golden Mole vs small blue

Amblysomus marleyi compared with Cupido minimus

Key Differences

• Marley’s Golden Mole is Endangered while small blue is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Marley’s Golden Mole	small blue
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Chrysochloridae	Lycaenidae
Genus	Amblysomus	Cupido
Species	Amblysomus marleyi	Cupido minimus

Evolutionary Relationship

Marley’s Golden Mole and small blue share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Marley’s Golden Mole

EN — Endangered

small blue

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Marley’s Golden Mole	small blue
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Marley’s Golden Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

small blue

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (39 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

small blue

small blue (Cupido minimus) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.