brittlestar vs Common Spangle Gall

Amphiura chiajei compared with Neuroterus quercusbaccarum

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brittlestar	Common Spangle Gall
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Echinodermata (Echinoderms)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Ophiuroidea (Ophiuroidea)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Amphilepidida (Amphilepidida)	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)
Family	Amphiuridae	Cynipidae
Genus	Amphiura	Neuroterus
Species	Amphiura chiajei	Neuroterus quercusbaccarum

Evolutionary Relationship

brittlestar and Common Spangle Gall share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

brittlestar

LC — Least Concern

Common Spangle Gall

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

brittlestar

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Common Spangle Gall

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

brittlestar

The Brittlestar (Amphiura chiajei) is a species in the genus Amphiura. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden