Common dung beetle vs Common Rim Lichen

Aphodius pedellus compared with Lecanora pulicaris

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common dung beetle	Common Rim Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family	Scarabaeidae	Lecanoraceae
Genus	Aphodius	Lecanora
Species	Aphodius pedellus	Lecanora pulicaris

Conservation Status

Common dung beetle

LC — Least Concern

Common Rim Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common dung beetle	Common Rim Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common dung beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Common Rim Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

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

Common dung beetle

<em>Aphodius pedellus</em>, a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, indicating a stable conservation outlook across its known range. The species has been documented in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States, with its distribution spanning virtually all terrestrial and freshwater biome types. As a member of the Aphodiini tribe, <em>Aphodius pedellus</em> typically inhabits pastures, meadows, and woodland edges where mammalian dung is available, as dung beetles in this genus rely on feces as both a breeding medium and a food resource. These beetles play a critical role in nutrient cycling and soil aeration, breaking down organic waste and accelerating the return of nutrients to the soil. Their burrowing activity beneath dung pats enhances soil structure and improves water infiltration. <em>Aphodius pedellus</em> is part of a guild of coprophagous insects that collectively support healthy agricultural and natural ecosystems across temperate Europe and North America. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Common Rim Lichen

<em>Lecanora pulicaris</em>, the common rim lichen, is a crustose lichen in the family Lecanoraceae, order Lecanorales, within the kingdom Fungi (as the mycobiont component). It is distributed across temperate and boreal zones, with documented records from Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its widespread occurrence on bark of deciduous and coniferous trees across the Northern Hemisphere. Rim lichens in the genus Lecanora are characterized by their apothecia — disc-shaped reproductive structures rimmed by a thallus margin — which give the genus its common name. <em>Lecanora pulicaris</em> typically forms pale gray-green crustose patches on smooth to moderately rough bark surfaces, particularly favoring the bark of birch, alder, and other hardwood trees in well-lit forest and woodland environments. As a lichen, it is a symbiotic organism comprising a fungal partner (mycobiont) and photosynthetic algal or cyanobacterial partners (photobionts), deriving nutrients through photosynthesis and mineral absorption from the substrate. Biological traits such as lifespan and growth rates remain poorly documented for this taxon, though crustose lichens typically grow very slowly. It serves as a bioindicator of air quality in temperate forests.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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