diff --git a/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.library.cs b/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.library.cs
index 02638219..487b1e0c 100644
--- a/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.library.cs
+++ b/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.library.cs
@@ -324,7 +324,8 @@ private void CalculateTopStats(List<Creature> creatures, Species onlySpecies = n
                 var species = g.Key;
                 if (species == null)
                     continue;
-                var speciesCreatures = g.ToArray();
+                var speciesCreatures = g.Where(c => !c.flags.HasFlag(CreatureFlags.Placeholder)).ToArray();
+                if (!speciesCreatures.Any()) continue;
 
                 var usedStatIndices = new List<int>(8);
                 var usedAndConsideredStatIndices = new List<int>();
diff --git a/ARKBreedingStats/library/LevelStatusFlags.cs b/ARKBreedingStats/library/LevelStatusFlags.cs
index 8015f746..d86b7a1b 100644
--- a/ARKBreedingStats/library/LevelStatusFlags.cs
+++ b/ARKBreedingStats/library/LevelStatusFlags.cs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public static void DetermineLevelStatus(Species species, TopLevels topLevels,
             out List<string> topStatsText, out List<string> newTopStatsText)
         {
             // if there are no creatures of the species yet, assume 0 levels to be the current best and worst
-            if (topLevels == null) topLevels = new TopLevels(true);
+            if (topLevels == null) topLevels = new TopLevels();
             var highSpeciesLevels = topLevels.WildLevelsHighest;
             var lowSpeciesLevels = topLevels.WildLevelsLowest;
             var highSpeciesMutationLevels = topLevels.MutationLevelsHighest;