African elephant vs Common maple aphid

Loxodonta africana compared with Periphyllus testudinaceus

Key Differences

African elephant is Vulnerable while Common maple aphid is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Common maple aphid
Kingdom same	Animalia (动物界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索动物门)	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)
Class	Mammalia (哺乳動物)	Insecta (昆蟲綱)
Order	Proboscidea (长鼻目)	Hemiptera (半翅目)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Aphididae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Periphyllus
Species	Loxodonta africana	Periphyllus testudinaceus

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and Common maple aphid share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (动物界)

查看 Kingdom: Animalia

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Common maple aphid

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Common maple aphid
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.

Common maple aphid

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

African elephant

非洲象是地球上体型最大的陆地动物，体重可达7,000千克，栖息于撒哈拉以南非洲的草原、稀树草原和森林中。作为关键种，它们通过挖掘水源、传播种子和改变植被结构，深刻塑造了其栖息地的生态系统。受栖息地丧失和象牙盗猎威胁，非洲象的保护至关重要。

Common maple aphid

<em>Periphyllus testudinaceus</em>, the common maple aphid, is a small sap-sucking insect in the family Aphididae, associated primarily with maple trees of the genus Acer. It is recorded from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. This species has not been formally evaluated for IUCN conservation status. The common maple aphid typically forms colonies on the undersides of maple leaves and along young shoots, feeding on phloem sap and potentially causing leaf curling, discoloration, and reduced tree vigor in heavy infestations. Like many aphid species, it produces honeydew as a metabolic byproduct, which attracts ants that may protect the aphid colonies in exchange. The species exhibits complex life cycles that can involve both sexual and asexual reproduction across seasons. Biological traits including body size, average lifespan, and precise dietary specializations beyond maple sap feeding remain incompletely documented. The common maple aphid is part of the broader community of invertebrates dependent on maple trees across temperate Northern Hemisphere regions.