Alder Spittlebug vs False Bruce Spanworm

Aphrophora alni compared with Macaria loricaria

Key Differences

• Alder Spittlebug is Least Concern while False Bruce Spanworm is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	False Bruce Spanworm
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Geometridae
Genus	Aphrophora	Macaria
Species	Aphrophora alni	Macaria loricaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Alder Spittlebug and False Bruce Spanworm share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

False Bruce Spanworm

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	False Bruce Spanworm
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).

False Bruce Spanworm

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States