Cowpie Lichen vs Crater Lichen

Diploschistes muscorum compared with Diploschistes scruposus

Key Differences

• Cowpie Lichen is Endangered while Crater Lichen is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cowpie Lichen	Crater Lichen
Kingdom same	Fungi (Pilze)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum same	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)
Class same	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order same	Ostropales (Ostropales)	Ostropales (Ostropales)
Family same	Graphidaceae	Graphidaceae
Genus same	Diploschistes	Diploschistes
Species	Diploschistes muscorum	Diploschistes scruposus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cowpie Lichen and Crater Lichen share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Diploschistes.

Conservation Status

Cowpie Lichen

EN — Endangered

Crater Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cowpie Lichen	Crater Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cowpie Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Crater Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

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