Atherton Kauri Pine vs Common Button Lichen

Agathis microstachya compared with Buellia erubescens

Key Differences

• Atherton Kauri Pine is Near Threatened while Common Button Lichen is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Atherton Kauri Pine	Common Button Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Caliciales (Caliciales)
Family	Braconidae	Caliciaceae
Genus	Agathis	Buellia
Species	Agathis microstachya	Buellia erubescens

Conservation Status

Atherton Kauri Pine

NT — Near Threatened

Common Button Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Atherton Kauri Pine	Common Button Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Atherton Kauri Pine

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Common Button Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Taiwan, and United States.

Atherton Kauri Pine

The Atherton Kauri Pine (Agathis microstachya) is a species in the genus Agathis. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Common Button Lichen

<em>Buellia erubescens</em>, commonly known as the common button lichen, is a lichen species with documented occurrences across Asia, Europe, and North America, including countries such as Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States. It typically colonizes diverse terrestrial surfaces, often found on bark, rock, or other substrates in temperate and boreal environments. Common button lichen belongs to the genus <em>Buellia</em> within the family Caliciaceae. As a crustose lichen, it typically forms tightly adhered, crust-like thalli on the surfaces it colonizes, making it characteristic of stable, undisturbed substrates. Biological traits such as average lifespan, thallus size, and biomass of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. The species has not yet been formally evaluated by the IUCN, and its global conservation status therefore remains undetermined. Its occurrence across multiple continents suggests a wide ecological tolerance, though detailed population data and trend assessments are currently lacking for this taxon.