Alder Spittlebug vs Rufous Beard-moss

Aphrophora alni compared with Bryoerythrophyllum ferruginascens

Key Differences

• Alder Spittlebug is Least Concern while Rufous Beard-moss is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Rufous Beard-moss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Bryophyta
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Pottiales (Pottiales)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Pottiaceae
Genus	Aphrophora	Bryoerythrophyllum
Species	Aphrophora alni	Bryoerythrophyllum ferruginascens

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Rufous Beard-moss

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Rufous Beard-moss
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).

Rufous Beard-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, and Sweden. 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden