Alder Spittlebug vs Birch Rust

Aphrophora alni compared with Melampsoridium betulinum

Key Differences

• Alder Spittlebug is Least Concern while Birch Rust is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Birch Rust
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniomycetes)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Pucciniales (Pucciniales)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Pucciniastraceae
Genus	Aphrophora	Melampsoridium
Species	Aphrophora alni	Melampsoridium betulinum

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Birch Rust

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Birch Rust
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).

Birch Rust

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (United States).

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.

Birch Rust

The Birch Rust (Melampsoridium betulinum) is a species in the genus Melampsoridium. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States