Broad-Bordered White Underwing vs Common Duckweed

Anarta melanopa compared with Lemna minor

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broad-Bordered White Underwing	Common Duckweed
Kingdom	Animalia (hewan)	Plantae (tumbuhan)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Artropoda)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (serangga)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Alismatales (Alismatales)
Family	Noctuidae	Araceae
Genus	Anarta	Lemna
Species	Anarta melanopa	Lemna minor

Conservation Status

Broad-Bordered White Underwing

LC — Least Concern

Common Duckweed

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broad-Bordered White Underwing	Common Duckweed
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broad-Bordered White Underwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Common Duckweed

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (8 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Brazil, Guyana).

Broad-Bordered White Underwing

The Broad-Bordered White Underwing (Anarta melanopa) is a species in the genus Anarta. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Common Duckweed

<em>Lemna minor</em>, commonly known as common duckweed, is a tiny floating aquatic plant in the family Araceae, recognized as one of the smallest flowering plants on Earth. Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, the species enjoys a broad distribution across Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America, colonizing a diverse array of habitats including grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated land with access to standing or slow-moving water. It typically inhabits ponds, lakes, ditches, and quiet streams, forming extensive green mats on the water surface. <em>Lemna minor</em> reproduces predominantly through asexual budding, allowing populations to expand rapidly under favorable conditions. The species provides vital ecosystem services, stabilizing nutrient cycles, reducing algal blooms through competition, and offering food and shelter for aquatic invertebrates, fish, and waterfowl. Due to its sensitivity to water quality, it is frequently used as a bioindicator in ecotoxicological research. Common duckweed has also attracted scientific interest for its potential in wastewater treatment and as a high-protein animal feed supplement. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden