Clover Dodder vs ベニスズメ

Cuscuta epithymum compared with Amandava amandava

Key Differences

Clover Dodder is Endangered while ベニスズメ is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clover Dodder	ベニスズメ
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)	Chordata (脊索動物)
Class	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)	Aves (鳥類)
Order	Solanales (ナス目)	Passeriformes (スズメ目)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Estrildidae
Genus	Cuscuta	Amandava
Species	Cuscuta epithymum	Amandava amandava

Conservation Status

Clover Dodder

EN — Endangered

ベニスズメ

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clover Dodder	ベニスズメ
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clover Dodder

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (9 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina, Venezuela). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

ベニスズメ

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (10 countries), Europe (9 countries), and North America (United States).

Clover Dodder

Clover dodder (Cuscuta epithymum) is a parasitic flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, a leafless, twining vine that obtains all its water and nutrients from host plants via haustoria — specialized penetrating organs that connect to host vascular tissue. The species is almost entirely dependent on its hosts throughout its life, with only brief photosynthetic activity during germination before establishing parasitic connections. C. epithymum parasitizes a wide range of host species including clover (Trifolium), gorse (Ulex), heathers (Erica, Calluna), thyme (Thymus), and other plants in open heathland, grassland, and scrub habitats. The stems are thread-like, yellowish-pink or reddish, and support clusters of small white to pale pink flowers. Originally widespread across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Americas, the species has declined significantly in many parts of its range due to agricultural intensification, herbicide application, grassland conversion, and loss of semi-natural heathlands. It is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population decline across its European core range. Conservation of C. epithymum requires the maintenance of unimproved, low-nutrient grasslands and heathlands that support its diverse host plant communities. The species is recorded from Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America, though populations in some regions represent introductions associated with contaminated legume seed lots.

ベニスズメ

ベニスズメ(Amandava amandava)は南アジアおよび東南アジアの森林に生息する鮮やかに着色された小型のスズメ科の鳥で、繁殖期の雄は体全体に白い斑点がある深紅色の羽毛を誇る。パキスタン、インドからインドネシア東部に至る水辺近くの背の高い草地、葦原、低木地に生息する。アジア全域で人気の愛玩鳥で、ヨーロッパ、日本、カリブ海の一部に導入個体群が定着している。群れで生活し、静かで音楽的な鳴き声を発する。