Alder Spittlebug vs Small Adder's-Tongue

Aphrophora alni compared with Ophioglossum azoricum

Key Differences

• Alder Spittlebug is Least Concern while Small Adder's-Tongue is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Spittlebug	Small Adder's-Tongue
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Tracheophyta
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)
Family	Aphrophoridae	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Aphrophora	Ophioglossum
Species	Aphrophora alni	Ophioglossum azoricum

Conservation Status

Alder Spittlebug

LC — Least Concern

Small Adder's-Tongue

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Spittlebug	Small Adder's-Tongue
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).

Small Adder's-Tongue

Habitat

Inhabits boreal forests and taiga within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, 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:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden