Brook Stippleback Lichen vs Long-tailed Sylph

Dermatocarpon luridum compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Key Differences

Brook Stippleback Lichen is Critically Endangered while Long-tailed Sylph is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brook Stippleback Lichen	Long-tailed Sylph
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Eurotiomycetes (Eurotiomycetes)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Verrucariales (Verrucariales)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Verrucariaceae	Trochilidae
Genus	Dermatocarpon	Aglaiocercus
Species	Dermatocarpon luridum	Aglaiocercus kingii

Conservation Status

Brook Stippleback Lichen

CR — Critically Endangered

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brook Stippleback Lichen	Long-tailed Sylph
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brook Stippleback Lichen

Habitat

Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Brook Stippleback Lichen

The Brook Stippleback Lichen (Dermatocarpon luridum) is a species in the genus Dermatocarpon. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Long-tailed Sylph

One of the most strikingly ornamented hummingbirds, male long-tailed sylphs have iridescent green plumage and dramatically elongated, ribbon-like outer tail feathers reaching up to 22 cm — over three times the body length. Found in Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Venezuela, they inhabit humid montane forest between 1,400–2,800 meters elevation. Males perform elaborate display flights to attract females. Their extravagant tails are a classic example of sexual selection via female preference.