Alfken's Mini-miner vs Collared Parachute

Andrena alfkenella compared with Marasmius rotula

Key Differences

• Alfken's Mini-miner is Near Threatened while Collared Parachute is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alfken's Mini-miner	Collared Parachute
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Andrenidae	Marasmiaceae
Genus	Andrena	Marasmius
Species	Andrena alfkenella	Marasmius rotula

Conservation Status

Alfken's Mini-miner

NT — Near Threatened

Collared Parachute

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alfken's Mini-miner	Collared Parachute
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alfken's Mini-miner

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Collared Parachute

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

Alfken's Mini-miner

The Alfken's Mini-miner (Andrena alfkenella) is a species in the genus Andrena. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Collared Parachute

The Collared Parachute, known scientifically as <em>Marasmius rotula</em>, is a small saprotrophic fungus belonging to the family Marasmiaceae within the order Agaricales. <em>Marasmius rotula</em> is characterised by its distinctive wheel-like or parachute-shaped cap, which typically features radial gill-like ridges connected to a collar around the stipe rather than attaching directly to it — a feature that gives the species both its common and scientific names. This species typically grows on decomposing leaf litter, dead woody material, and forest floors in deciduous and mixed woodland. It is reported to occur in Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. As a decomposer, <em>Marasmius rotula</em> plays a role in nutrient cycling within forest ecosystems. Detailed biological traits including typical lifespan measures and physical dimensions are poorly documented for this species in available literature. The Collared Parachute is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden