Appalachian Shield Lichen vs Comet Darner

Parmelia neodiscordans compared with Anax longipes

Key Differences

Appalachian Shield Lichen is Not Evaluated while Comet Darner is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Appalachian Shield Lichen	Comet Darner
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Parmeliaceae	Aeshnidae
Genus	Parmelia	Anax
Species	Parmelia neodiscordans	Anax longipes

Conservation Status

Appalachian Shield Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

Comet Darner

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Appalachian Shield Lichen	Comet Darner
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Appalachian Shield Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and United States.

Comet Darner

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

Appalachian Shield Lichen

The Appalachian Shield Lichen (Parmelia neodiscordans) is a species in the genus Parmelia. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

<em>Anax longipes</em>, the comet darner, is a large dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae, assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is endemic to the United States, where it inhabits lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers with clear water and abundant emergent vegetation. The comet darner is one of the largest North American dragonflies and is distinguished by its brilliant coloration, including a green thorax and a red-spotted abdomen in mature males. The species name longipes refers to its notably long legs. Adults are powerful aerial predators, feeding on a variety of flying insects captured in flight. Larvae are aquatic and predatory, developing in the benthic zone of freshwater habitats where they feed on invertebrates and small vertebrates. The comet darner undertakes seasonal dispersal movements and is most commonly observed near its breeding water bodies during the warmer months.