Clouded Apollo vs Common Globe-Thistle

Parnassius mnemosyne compared with Echinops sphaerocephalus

Key Differences

• Clouded Apollo is Near Threatened while Common Globe-Thistle is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clouded Apollo	Common Globe-Thistle
Kingdom same	Animalia (动物界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Insecta (昆蟲綱)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Lepidoptera (鱗翅目)	Afrosoricida (非洲蝟目)
Family	Papilionidae	Tenrecidae
Genus	Parnassius	Echinops
Species	Parnassius mnemosyne	Echinops sphaerocephalus

Evolutionary Relationship

Clouded Apollo and Common Globe-Thistle share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (动物界)

Conservation Status

Clouded Apollo

NT — Near Threatened

Common Globe-Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clouded Apollo	Common Globe-Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clouded Apollo

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (33 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Globe-Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Clouded Apollo

云彩绢蝶（Parnassius mnemosyne）在IUCN红色名录中被列为近危（NT）。接近受威胁标准，若无保护行动，种群可能变得脆弱。

Common Globe-Thistle

<em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em>, commonly known as the common globe-thistle or great globe-thistle, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae. The species has a distribution spanning Europe, North America, and Oceania, with naturalization in several regions outside its native southern and central European range. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> typically inhabits dry, open, and disturbed habitats including roadsides, waste ground, rocky slopes, and steppe grasslands, where it is well adapted to poor, well-drained soils. It produces distinctive spherical, steel-blue flower heads that are highly attractive to pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, making it a valued plant in native garden planting and ecological restoration. The species is not currently evaluated for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> is a robust, spiny plant that can grow to considerable height and spreads readily in suitable open habitats. Its ornamental qualities and pollinator value have contributed to its deliberate planting in gardens and public green spaces beyond its native range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 14 countries:

🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇷🇺 Russia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden