Alder Spittlebug vs Medusa Brittlestem

Aphrophora alni compared with Psathyrella caput-medusae

Key Differences

• Alder Spittlebug is Least Concern while Medusa Brittlestem is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Medusa Brittlestem
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Psathyrellaceae
Genus	Aphrophora	Psathyrella
Species	Aphrophora alni	Psathyrella caput-medusae

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Medusa Brittlestem

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Medusa Brittlestem
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).

Medusa Brittlestem

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Endangered 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden