Alder Spittlebug vs Alpine Silk-moss

Aphrophora alni compared with Plagiothecium platyphyllum

Key Differences

• Alder Spittlebug is Least Concern while Alpine Silk-moss is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Alpine Silk-moss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Bryophyta
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Hypnales (Hypnales)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Plagiotheciaceae
Genus	Aphrophora	Plagiothecium
Species	Aphrophora alni	Plagiothecium platyphyllum

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Alpine Silk-moss

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Alpine Silk-moss
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alder Spittlebug

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Alpine Silk-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Alder Spittlebug

The Alder Spittlebug (Aphrophora alni) is a species in the genus Aphrophora. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Alpine Silk-moss

The Alpine Silk-moss (Plagiothecium platyphyllum) is a species in the genus Plagiothecium. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region. Distributed across Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden