Brook Floater vs Common Spangle Gall

Alasmidonta varicosa compared with Neuroterus quercusbaccarum

Key Differences

• Brook Floater is Vulnerable while Common Spangle Gall is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brook Floater	Common Spangle Gall
Kingdom same	Animalia (حيوانات)	Animalia (حيوانات)
Phylum	Mollusca (رخويات)	Arthropoda (مفصليات الأرجل)
Class	Bivalvia (ذوات الصدفتين)	Insecta (حشرات)
Order	Unionida (محاريات نهرية)	Hymenoptera (غشائيات الأجنحة)
Family	Unionidae	Cynipidae
Genus	Alasmidonta	Neuroterus
Species	Alasmidonta varicosa	Neuroterus quercusbaccarum

Evolutionary Relationship

Brook Floater and Common Spangle Gall share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (حيوانات)

Conservation Status

Brook Floater

VU — Vulnerable

Common Spangle Gall

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brook Floater	Common Spangle Gall
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brook Floater

Habitat

Native to North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

Common Spangle Gall

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Brook Floater

The Brook Floater (Alasmidonta varicosa) is a species in the genus Alasmidonta. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Common Spangle Gall

<em>Neuroterus quercusbaccarum</em>, commonly known as the common spangle gall, is a small gall wasp in the family Cynipidae, closely associated with oaks in Europe and western Asia. This species is notable for its complex life cycle involving alternating sexual and asexual generations, each producing morphologically distinct galls on its oak hosts. The asexual generation typically induces flat, disc-shaped "spangle" galls on the undersides of oak leaves, while the sexual generation produces small "currant" galls on oak catkins and leaves in spring. <em>Neuroterus quercusbaccarum</em> is widely distributed across Europe, extending into parts of western Asia and North Africa wherever suitable oak hosts, particularly <em>Quercus robur</em> and <em>Quercus petraea</em>, occur. The species has not been evaluated under IUCN Red List criteria, and population trends are not formally monitored, though it remains common across much of its range. Biological traits such as average lifespan in years, body dimensions, and weight remain poorly documented in the scientific literature for this minute insect. The larvae develop entirely within gall tissue, feeding on plant nutrients provided by the gall structure they induce. Adult wasps are free-living and do not feed substantially. Conservation status is listed as Not Evaluated.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States