Bent Ring Lichen vs Cluster Bat

Arctoparmelia incurva compared with Myotis sodalis

Key Differences

Bent Ring Lichen is Critically Endangered while Cluster Bat is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bent Ring Lichen	Cluster Bat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Parmeliaceae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Arctoparmelia	Myotis
Species	Arctoparmelia incurva	Myotis sodalis

Conservation Status

Bent Ring Lichen

CR — Critically Endangered

Cluster Bat

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bent Ring Lichen	Cluster Bat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bent Ring Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cluster Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Bent Ring Lichen

The Bent Ring Lichen (Arctoparmelia incurva) is a species in the genus Arctoparmelia. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Cluster Bat

Myotis sodalis, the Indiana bat or cluster bat, is a medium-sized insectivorous bat in the family Vespertilionidae endemic to the eastern United States. It is one of the most endangered bats in North America, listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. The species is named for its behavior of clustering in extremely dense hibernation groups—sometimes thousands of bats per square meter—in specific limestone caves and mines during winter. These few critical hibernacula make the species extremely vulnerable to disturbance and disease. Since 2007, Indiana bats have suffered severe mortality from white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans that disrupts hibernation and causes mass starvation. During summer, Indiana bats roost under loose bark of dead trees and forage for insects over forested landscapes and riparian areas. Foraging individuals consume moths, beetles, and flying insects. Conservation efforts include cave gate protection, white-nose syndrome research, and summer habitat management on public and private lands across the eastern US.