Clover slender vs Locust Digitate Leafminer

Parectopa ononidis compared with Parectopa robiniella

Key Differences

• Clover slender is Endangered while Locust Digitate Leafminer is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clover slender	Locust Digitate Leafminer
Kingdom same	Animalia (동물)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (절지동물)	Arthropoda (절지동물)
Class same	Insecta (곤충)	Insecta (곤충)
Order same	Lepidoptera (나비목)	Lepidoptera (나비목)
Family same	Gracillariidae	Gracillariidae
Genus same	Parectopa	Parectopa
Species	Parectopa ononidis	Parectopa robiniella

Evolutionary Relationship

Clover slender and Locust Digitate Leafminer share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Parectopa.

Conservation Status

Clover slender

EN — Endangered

Locust Digitate Leafminer

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clover slender	Locust Digitate Leafminer
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clover slender

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Locust Digitate Leafminer

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (22 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Clover slender

The clover slender moth (Parectopa ononidis) is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. Native to Europe, this species specializes on restharrow plants (Ononis species) in the legume family Fabaceae as its larval host. Like other Parectopa species, the larvae create distinctive blotch mines in the leaves of their host plants, feeding on the leaf tissue within the epidermis. The adult moth is typically small and narrow-winged, characteristic of the gracillariid family, with patterned forewings. This species inhabits dry grasslands, calcareous meadows, and scrubby areas where its restharrow host plants grow. It has been recorded across parts of central and western Europe, including the British Isles and continental regions. Parectopa ononidis is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its restricted habitat requirements and sensitivity to agricultural intensification, which has led to widespread loss of the dry calcareous grasslands it depends on. Conservation efforts for this species focus on maintaining traditional land management practices such as light grazing that support diverse wildflower communities including restharrow.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇺🇦 Ukraine