Alder Spittlebug vs Broad Scalewort

Aphrophora alni compared with Porella obtusata

Key Differences

Alder Spittlebug is Least Concern while Broad Scalewort is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Broad Scalewort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Porellales (Porellales)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Porellaceae
Genus	Aphrophora	Porella
Species	Aphrophora alni	Porella obtusata

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Broad Scalewort

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Broad Scalewort
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).

Broad Scalewort

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Broad Scalewort

The Broad Scalewort (Porella obtusata) is a species in the genus Porella. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.