Ulmen-Fleckenspanner vs Lavendel

Abraxas sylvata compared with Lavandula angustifolia

Key Differences

  • Ulmen-Fleckenspanner is Vulnerable while Lavendel is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Ulmen-Fleckenspanner Lavendel
Kingdom Animalia (Tier) Plantae (Pflanzen)
Phylum Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer) Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class Insecta (Insekten) Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order Lepidoptera (Schmetterlinge) Lamiales (Lippenblütlerartige)
Family Geometridae Lamiaceae
Genus Abraxas Lavandula
Species Abraxas sylvata Lavandula angustifolia

Conservation Status

Ulmen-Fleckenspanner

VU — Vulnerable

Lavendel

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Ulmen-Fleckenspanner Lavendel
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.

Lavendel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus, India, Turkey), Europe (19 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), 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.

Lavendel

Common Lavender (<em>Lavandula angustifolia</em>) is an aromatic shrub in the family Lamiaceae, widely cultivated for its fragrant flowers and essential oils. Its native range includes Cyprus, India, and Turkey in Asia, nineteen European countries, the United States in North America, Australia in Oceania, and Brazil in South America. The species typically occupies diverse terrestrial habitats including dry, rocky slopes, scrublands, and stony hillsides of the Mediterranean region, where it thrives in well-drained, calcareous soils under full sun. Common Lavender is one of the most economically significant aromatic plants globally, with extensive use in perfumery, cosmetics, culinary applications, and traditional herbal medicine. It is a valuable pollinator plant, attracting bees, butterflies, and other insects. The conservation status of this species has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN. Its widespread cultivation and naturalization across temperate regions worldwide make it a familiar component of gardens and agricultural landscapes. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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