clouded magpie vs Monarch

Abraxas sylvata compared with Danaus plexippus

Key Differences

• clouded magpie is Vulnerable while Monarch is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	clouded magpie	Monarch
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (artrópode)	Arthropoda (artrópode)
Class same	Insecta (inseto)	Insecta (inseto)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Geometridae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Abraxas	Danaus (Milkweed Butterflies)
Species	Abraxas sylvata	Danaus plexippus

Evolutionary Relationship

clouded magpie and Monarch share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

clouded magpie

VU — Vulnerable

Monarch

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	clouded magpie	Monarch
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	5 cm
Average Weight	—	0 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

clouded magpie

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Monarch

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (8 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Colombia).

clouded magpie

The clouded magpie (Abraxas sylvata) is a geometrid moth in the family Geometridae found across temperate Europe, extending eastward through Russia to Japan. The adult wingspan measures approximately 32–42 mm, with white wings bearing a distinctive pattern of yellow-orange and dark grey to black spots and patches arranged in rows across the forewing and hindwing, creating a striking patterned appearance resembling the magpie coloring of the related magpie moth Abraxas grossulariata, but with a more yellowish, muted tone and less black — hence 'clouded.' Adults fly in one generation from June to July, resting on leaf surfaces and attending woodland flowers for nectar. The larvae feed on wych elm (Ulmus glabra) and occasionally other Ulmus species in mature deciduous woodland and woodland edges. The clouded magpie has become less common in parts of its European range due to the widespread loss of mature elms from Dutch elm disease, which devastated European elm populations from the 1970s onward. Conservation of this species requires the protection of surviving mature elm trees and management of regrowth elms in woodland ecosystems.

Monarch

Um dos insetos migratorios mais notaveis do mundo, as borboletas-monarca realizam migracoes de ida e volta de varias geracoes de ate 4.800 km entre as areas de reproducao no norte da America do Norte e os sitios de hibernacao nas florestas de montanha do Mexico. Suas brilhantes asas laranja e pretas alertam os predadores sobre sua toxicidade, derivada das plantas leiteiras consumidas como lagartas. Ameacada, com populacoes invernantes tendo diminuido mais de 80% desde a decada de 1990 devido a perda do habitat das plantas leiteiras, pesticidas e mudancas climaticas.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden