Alder Spittlebug vs Emerald Spreadwing

Aphrophora alni compared with Lestes dryas

Key Differences

• Alder Spittlebug is Least Concern while Emerald Spreadwing is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Emerald Spreadwing
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Lestidae
Genus	Aphrophora	Lestes
Species	Aphrophora alni	Lestes dryas

Evolutionary Relationship

Alder Spittlebug and Emerald Spreadwing share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Emerald Spreadwing

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Emerald Spreadwing
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).

Emerald Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable 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.

Emerald Spreadwing

Emerald Spreadwing (Lestes dryas) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

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