Ulmen-Fleckenspanner vs Gemeiner Schildborstling

Abraxas sylvata compared with Scutellinia scutellata

Key Differences

Ulmen-Fleckenspanner is Vulnerable while Gemeiner Schildborstling is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ulmen-Fleckenspanner	Gemeiner Schildborstling
Kingdom	Animalia (Tier)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)
Class	Insecta (Insekten)	Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)
Order	Lepidoptera (Schmetterlinge)	Pezizales (Pezizales)
Family	Geometridae	Pyronemataceae
Genus	Abraxas	Scutellinia
Species	Abraxas sylvata	Scutellinia scutellata

Conservation Status

Ulmen-Fleckenspanner

VU — Vulnerable

Gemeiner Schildborstling

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ulmen-Fleckenspanner	Gemeiner Schildborstling
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ulmen-Fleckenspanner

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Gemeiner Schildborstling

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

Ulmen-Fleckenspanner

The clouded magpie (Abraxas sylvata) is a geometrid moth in the family Geometridae found across temperate Europe, extending eastward through Russia to Japan. The adult wingspan measures approximately 32–42 mm, with white wings bearing a distinctive pattern of yellow-orange and dark grey to black spots and patches arranged in rows across the forewing and hindwing, creating a striking patterned appearance resembling the magpie coloring of the related magpie moth Abraxas grossulariata, but with a more yellowish, muted tone and less black — hence 'clouded.' Adults fly in one generation from June to July, resting on leaf surfaces and attending woodland flowers for nectar. The larvae feed on wych elm (Ulmus glabra) and occasionally other Ulmus species in mature deciduous woodland and woodland edges. The clouded magpie has become less common in parts of its European range due to the widespread loss of mature elms from Dutch elm disease, which devastated European elm populations from the 1970s onward. Conservation of this species requires the protection of surviving mature elm trees and management of regrowth elms in woodland ecosystems.

Gemeiner Schildborstling

The Common Eyelash (<em>Scutellinia scutellata</em>) is a small cup fungus belonging to the genus Scutellinia within the family Pyronemataceae. It is recognised by its distinctive scarlet to bright red disc-shaped fruiting body, typically measuring just a few millimetres across, and fringed with dark brown hair-like structures resembling eyelashes, from which its common name derives. This species is native to Asia and Europe and North America, and typically inhabits decomposing wood, moist soil, and other organic substrates in humid environments. Its geographic range is wide, with confirmed records across Asia including Taiwan, Europe including Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Portugal, North America including the United States, and South America including Brazil. <em>Scutellinia scutellata</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its broad distribution and apparent abundance. Biological traits such as lifespan, size, and specific dietary habits remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, though as a saprotrophic fungus it typically obtains nutrients by decomposing dead organic matter.