Common Pipistrelle vs

Pipistrellus pipistrellus compared with Hyphoderma orphanellum

Key Differences

Common Pipistrelle is Vulnerable while is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Pipistrelle
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Polyporales (Polyporales)
Family	Vespertilionidae	Hyphodermataceae
Genus	Pipistrellus	Hyphoderma
Species	Pipistrellus pipistrellus	Hyphoderma orphanellum

Conservation Status

Common Pipistrelle

VU — Vulnerable

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Pipistrelle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Pipistrelle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Pipistrelle

<em>Pipistrellus pipistrellus</em>, the common pipistrelle, is a small bat in the family Vespertilionidae and one of the most abundant and widespread bat species in Europe. It is typically one of the first bats to emerge at dusk, flying with rapid, jerky wingbeats as it pursues small flying insects over gardens, woodland edges, water bodies, and urban areas. The species roosts in crevices in buildings, bat boxes, and tree holes, often forming large maternity colonies in summer. <em>Pipistrellus pipistrellus</em> echolocates at a characteristic frequency of around 45 kHz, which allows it to be identified using bat detectors. It is distributed across Europe, with confirmed records from Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Portugal, among many other countries. The species is assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population declines driven by loss of foraging habitat, reduction in insect prey biomass, disturbance of roost sites, and pesticide use. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body size, weight, and detailed dietary composition across its range remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, though the species is known to consume large numbers of small moths, midges, and other aerial insects each night.

Hyphoderma orphanellum is a corticioid fungus in the family Polyporaceae, assessed as Near Threatened (NT). It forms thin, resupinate fruiting bodies on dead wood of broadleaf trees in mature or old-growth forest environments. Its near-threatened status reflects its sensitivity to the removal of deadwood and disturbance of old-growth forests.