Common Tarcrust vs Niger Delta Red Colobus

Diatrype stigma compared with Piliocolobus epieni

Key Differences

• Common Tarcrust is Not Evaluated while Niger Delta Red Colobus is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Tarcrust	Niger Delta Red Colobus
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Xylariales (Xylariales)	Primates (Primates)
Family	Diatrypaceae	Cercopithecidae (Old World Monkeys)
Genus	Diatrype	Piliocolobus
Species	Diatrype stigma	Piliocolobus epieni

Conservation Status

Common Tarcrust

NE — Not Evaluated

Niger Delta Red Colobus

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Tarcrust	Niger Delta Red Colobus
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Tarcrust

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

Niger Delta Red Colobus

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.