Gewöhnliche Kornrade vs Large Meadow Mining Bee

Agrostemma githago compared with Andrena labialis

Key Differences

Gewöhnliche Kornrade is Critically Endangered while Large Meadow Mining Bee is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Gewöhnliche Kornrade	Large Meadow Mining Bee
Kingdom	Plantae (Pflanzen)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insekten)
Order	Caryophyllales (Nelkenartige)	Hymenoptera (Hautflügler)
Family	Caryophyllaceae	Andrenidae
Genus	Agrostemma	Andrena
Species	Agrostemma githago	Andrena labialis

Conservation Status

Gewöhnliche Kornrade

CR — Critically Endangered

Large Meadow Mining Bee

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Gewöhnliche Kornrade	Large Meadow Mining Bee
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Gewöhnliche Kornrade

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including montane grasslands and shrublands, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Lesotho), Asia (7 countries), Europe (24 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Brazil, Chile). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Large Meadow Mining Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Gewöhnliche Kornrade

<em>Agrostemma githago</em>, commonly known as common corncockle, is an annual flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. Once a widespread weed of cereal crops across Europe, Asia, and beyond, this species is now Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to the dramatic decline caused by modern agricultural practices, particularly improved grain cleaning and herbicide use. Corncockle is a tall, slender plant covered in silky white hairs, bearing large, solitary pink to purple flowers with distinctive dark veining. Its seeds contain toxic saponin compounds called githagins, which historically contaminated grain supplies. The species now survives primarily in wildflower conservation areas, seed banks, and traditional farmland conservation schemes. It typically grows in open, disturbed arable soils with full sun exposure. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.