Common Rim Lichen vs Mealy Rim-Lichen

Lecanora pulicaris compared with Lecanora strobilina

Key Differences

• Common Rim Lichen is Least Concern while Mealy Rim-Lichen is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Rim Lichen	Mealy Rim-Lichen
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class same	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order same	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family same	Lecanoraceae	Lecanoraceae
Genus same	Lecanora	Lecanora
Species	Lecanora pulicaris	Lecanora strobilina

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Rim Lichen and Mealy Rim-Lichen share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Lecanora.

Conservation Status

Common Rim Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Mealy Rim-Lichen

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Rim Lichen	Mealy Rim-Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Mealy 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 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 5 countries:

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