Alder Spittlebug vs Sand Digger Wasp

Aphrophora alni compared with Mellinus crabroneus

Key Differences

• Alder Spittlebug is Least Concern while Sand Digger Wasp is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Sand Digger Wasp
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Crabronidae
Genus	Aphrophora	Mellinus
Species	Aphrophora alni	Mellinus crabroneus

Evolutionary Relationship

Alder Spittlebug and Sand Digger Wasp share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Sand Digger Wasp

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Sand Digger Wasp
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).

Sand Digger Wasp

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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