Ballena azul vs clouded silver

Balaenoptera musculus compared with Lomographa temerata

Key Differences

• Ballena azul is Vulnerable while clouded silver is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ballena azul	clouded silver
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Arthropoda (artrópodos)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Insecta (insecto)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Geometridae
Genus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)	Lomographa
Species	Balaenoptera musculus	Lomographa temerata

Evolutionary Relationship

Ballena azul and clouded silver share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Ballena azul

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

clouded silver

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ballena azul	clouded silver
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	90 years	—
Average Length	30.0 m	—
Average Weight	150.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ballena azul

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

clouded silver

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Ballena azul

El animal más grande que se conoce haya vivido en la Tierra; las ballenas azules pueden alcanzar 33 metros y 200 toneladas — sus corazones solos pesan tanto como un automóvil pequeño. Se encuentran en todos los océanos y migran entre las zonas de alimentación polares y las áreas de reproducción tropicales. Son filtradoras que consumen hasta 4 toneladas de kril al día. En peligro de extinción, con poblaciones globales estimadas entre 10.000 y 25.000 tras casi extinguirse por la caza de ballenas en el siglo XX.

clouded silver

The clouded silver (Lomographa temerata) is a geometrid moth in the family Geometridae found across temperate Europe and extending through Asia to Japan. The adult wingspan measures approximately 28–36 mm, with white forewings bearing irregular pale grey-brown cross-bands and stippling that create a subtle clouded silver-grey appearance against the white ground color. Adults fly in one generation from April to June, often resting on foliage and low vegetation with wings spread flat. The larvae feed on blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), hawthorn (Crataegus), and other Rosaceae shrubs in hedgerows, scrub, and woodland margins. The clouded silver is characteristic of landscapes with structurally diverse hedgerows, scrub edges, and woodland margins across Britain, Ireland, and continental Europe, where it can be relatively common. It is frequently attracted to light traps and serves as an indicator of diverse hedgerow structure with abundant blackthorn and hawthorn. Populations appear relatively stable across well-managed agricultural landscapes with retained hedgerow networks, though loss of traditional hedge management threatens many moth species associated with these linear habitats.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden