African elephant vs Clover Seed Weevil

Loxodonta africana compared with Protapion apricans

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while Clover Seed Weevil is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Clover Seed Weevil
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Insecta (แมลง)
Order	Proboscidea (อันดับช้าง)	Coleoptera (อันดับด้วง)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Apionidae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Protapion
Species	Loxodonta africana	Protapion apricans

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and Clover Seed Weevil share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (สัตว์)

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Clover Seed Weevil

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Clover Seed Weevil
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	65 years	—
Average Length	6.0 m	—
Average Weight	6.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

African elephant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Clover Seed Weevil

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

African elephant

The largest land animal on Earth, African elephants can reach 7,000 kg and inhabit sub-Saharan savannas, forests, and wetlands. Highly intelligent with complex social structures led by matriarchs, they communicate through infrasound, rumbles, and touch. As ecosystem engineers, they shape habitats by uprooting trees, digging waterholes, and dispersing seeds. Vulnerable, with populations declining due to ivory poaching and habitat loss.

Clover Seed Weevil

Protapion apricans, one of the weevils sharing the common name clover seed weevil, is a small apionid weevil in the family Brentidae (subfamily Apioninae), order Coleoptera. Unlike Tychius picirostris, which belongs to Curculionidae, Protapion species are classified within Brentidae, reflecting different evolutionary origins despite a broadly similar ecological role. P. apricans is a specialized herbivore of red clover (Trifolium pratense), with larvae feeding within developing flower heads and seeds rather than directly ovipositing into seed pods as Tychius does. Adults feed on the leaves and stems of clover before mating, and females insert eggs into developing flower heads where larvae feed on immature seeds and florets. P. apricans is considered an important pest of red clover seed production in Europe, capable of causing significant yield losses in clover seed crops. The species is distributed across Europe and has been documented from Norway and Sweden. It inhabits meadows, agricultural fields, and grassland habitats wherever red clover grows. P. apricans is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its widespread distribution and stable populations throughout its European range. The species can be distinguished from closely related Protapion species by morphological characters of the rostrum, pronotum, and elytral punctation, requiring careful examination for accurate identification.