Chihuahua Gray vs Common Tarcrust

Aphonopelma pallidum compared with Diatrype stigma

Key Differences

• Chihuahua Gray is Least Concern while Common Tarcrust is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chihuahua Gray	Common Tarcrust
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Arachnida (Arachnids)	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)
Order	Araneae (Araneae)	Xylariales (Xylariales)
Family	Theraphosidae	Diatrypaceae
Genus	Aphonopelma	Diatrype
Species	Aphonopelma pallidum	Diatrype stigma

Conservation Status

Chihuahua Gray

LC — Least Concern

Common Tarcrust

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chihuahua Gray	Common Tarcrust
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chihuahua Gray

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Common Tarcrust

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Chihuahua Gray

The Chihuahua Gray (Aphonopelma pallidum) is a species in the genus Aphonopelma. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Common Tarcrust

<em>Diatrype stigma</em>, the common tarcrust, is a saprotrophic fungus in the family Diatrypaceae, found across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, as well as more broadly in Europe and temperate regions globally. It grows as a crust-like, charcoal-black stromata on the dead bark and branches of deciduous hardwoods, particularly hazel, beech, and alder. The fruiting bodies are typically flat to slightly raised, dark gray to black patches that contain numerous embedded perithecia in which ascospores are produced. This fungus plays an important ecological role as a decomposer, breaking down dead woody material and recycling nutrients in forest ecosystems. It is Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List; given its broad distribution on common substrates, it is generally considered widespread. The species reproduces via wind-dispersed ascospores released from the perithecia. Diet, as a saprotrophic organism, consists of dead organic woody matter. Biological traits such as colony growth rates, spore output, and longevity remain poorly documented in standardized quantitative assessments.