Alder Spittlebug vs Bristlecone Pine

Aphrophora alni compared with Pinus longaeva

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Bristlecone Pine
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Coniferophyta (Conifers)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Pinopsida (Conifers)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Pinales (Pines & Allies)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Pinaceae (Pine Family)
Genus	Aphrophora	Pinus (Pines)
Species	Aphrophora alni	Pinus longaeva

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Bristlecone Pine

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Bristlecone Pine
Diet	—	Autotroph
Average Lifespan	—	5000 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
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).

Bristlecone Pine

Habitat

Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Range

Found in 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.

Bristlecone Pine

The oldest known living individual tree on Earth, the Great Basin bristlecone pine can live over 5,000 years in the harsh, windswept subalpine environments of the White Mountains of California and the Great Basin region. Their extreme longevity is linked to slow metabolism, dense resinous wood resistant to decay and insects, and harsh high-altitude conditions that limit competition. Tree ring records from bristlecone pines have provided an invaluable climate proxy record extending back thousands of years.