Alder Spittlebug vs Fen Puffball

Aphrophora alni compared with Bovista paludosa

Key Differences

Alder Spittlebug is Least Concern while Fen Puffball is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Fen Puffball
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Lycoperdaceae
Genus	Aphrophora	Bovista
Species	Aphrophora alni	Bovista paludosa

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Fen Puffball

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Fen Puffball
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).

Fen Puffball

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden. 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.