Black-Footed Reindeer Lichen vs Lesser Sulphur-Cup Lichen

Cladonia stygia compared with Cladonia deformis

Key Differences

• Black-Footed Reindeer Lichen is Endangered while Lesser Sulphur-Cup Lichen is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-Footed Reindeer Lichen	Lesser Sulphur-Cup Lichen
Kingdom same	Fungi (Pilze)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum same	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)
Class same	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order same	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family same	Cladoniaceae	Cladoniaceae
Genus same	Cladonia	Cladonia
Species	Cladonia stygia	Cladonia deformis

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-Footed Reindeer Lichen and Lesser Sulphur-Cup Lichen share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Cladonia.

Conservation Status

Black-Footed Reindeer Lichen

EN — Endangered

Lesser Sulphur-Cup Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-Footed Reindeer Lichen	Lesser Sulphur-Cup Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-Footed Reindeer Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Lesser Sulphur-Cup Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Black-Footed Reindeer Lichen

The Black-Footed Reindeer Lichen (Cladonia stygia) is a species in the genus Cladonia. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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