Alder Spittlebug vs

Aphrophora alni compared with Exobasidium splendidum

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Exobasidiomycetes (Exobasidiomycetes)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Exobasidiales (Exobasidiales)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Exobasidiaceae
Genus	Aphrophora	Exobasidium
Species	Aphrophora alni	Exobasidium splendidum

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug
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).

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Exobasidium splendidum is a parasitic basidiomycete fungus that forms galls and hypertrophied growths on the leaves and stems of host plants in the heath family. It inhabits boreal and montane habitats where Ericaceae shrubs such as Arctostaphylos grow. This parasitic fungus deforms host plant tissue to extract nutrients during its reproductive phase.