Bloodwort vs Common Spangle Gall

Achillea millefolium compared with Neuroterus quercusbaccarum

Key Differences

• Bloodwort is Least Concern while Common Spangle Gall is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bloodwort	Common Spangle Gall
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Cynipidae
Genus	Achillea	Neuroterus
Species	Achillea millefolium	Neuroterus quercusbaccarum

Conservation Status

Bloodwort

LC — Least Concern

Common Spangle Gall

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bloodwort	Common Spangle Gall
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bloodwort

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (4 countries), Europe (10 countries), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (4 countries).

Common Spangle Gall

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Bloodwort

The Bloodwort (Achillea millefolium) is a species in the genus Achillea. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Neotropic and Palearctic real

Common Spangle Gall

<em>Neuroterus quercusbaccarum</em>, commonly known as the common spangle gall, is a small gall wasp in the family Cynipidae, closely associated with oaks in Europe and western Asia. This species is notable for its complex life cycle involving alternating sexual and asexual generations, each producing morphologically distinct galls on its oak hosts. The asexual generation typically induces flat, disc-shaped "spangle" galls on the undersides of oak leaves, while the sexual generation produces small "currant" galls on oak catkins and leaves in spring. <em>Neuroterus quercusbaccarum</em> is widely distributed across Europe, extending into parts of western Asia and North Africa wherever suitable oak hosts, particularly <em>Quercus robur</em> and <em>Quercus petraea</em>, occur. The species has not been evaluated under IUCN Red List criteria, and population trends are not formally monitored, though it remains common across much of its range. Biological traits such as average lifespan in years, body dimensions, and weight remain poorly documented in the scientific literature for this minute insect. The larvae develop entirely within gall tissue, feeding on plant nutrients provided by the gall structure they induce. Adult wasps are free-living and do not feed substantially. Conservation status is listed as Not Evaluated.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States