Alder Spittlebug vs Common Lacehopper

Aphrophora alni compared with Cixius nervosus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Common Lacehopper
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Cixiidae
Genus	Aphrophora	Cixius
Species	Aphrophora alni	Cixius nervosus

Evolutionary Relationship

Alder Spittlebug and Common Lacehopper share a common ancestor at the Order level: Hemiptera. (Hemiptera)

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Common Lacehopper

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Common Lacehopper
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).

Common Lacehopper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 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.

Common Lacehopper

The Common Lacehopper (<em>Cixius nervosus</em>) is a planthopper insect in the family Cixiidae, classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is native to Europe, with records from five European countries, and also occurs in the United States in North America. The species typically inhabits virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats within its range, demonstrating broad ecological tolerance. Lacehoppers are hemipteran insects that feed on plant sap and are often associated with roots or low-growing vegetation. Adults typically emerge in summer and are capable of short flights between host plants. The Common Lacehopper's widespread distribution and occurrence across a variety of natural and semi-natural habitats support its stable conservation status. Its role in food webs as a prey item for insectivorous birds and other invertebrate predators gives it ecological significance within temperate ecosystems. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

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