matria alta vs Common dung beetle

Comatricha ellae compared with Aphodius pedellus

Key Differences

• matria alta is Not Evaluated while Common dung beetle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	matria alta	Common dung beetle
Kingdom	Protozoa (protozoo)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mycetozoa	Arthropoda (artrópodos)
Class	Myxomycetes (Myxomycetes)	Insecta (insecto)
Order	Stemonitidales	Coleoptera (coleópteros)
Family	Stemonitidaceae	Scarabaeidae
Genus	Comatricha	Aphodius
Species	Comatricha ellae	Aphodius pedellus

Conservation Status

matria alta

NE — Not Evaluated

Common dung beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	matria alta	Common dung beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

matria alta

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Norway, and Sweden.

Common dung beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and United States.

matria alta

<em>Comatricha ellae</em> is a plasmodial slime mold in the class Myxomycetes, order Stemonitidales, belonging to the diverse genus <em>Comatricha</em>. Members of this genus are characterized by their stalked sporangia with a persistent stalk and an elaborate internal capillitial network that aids in spore dispersal. <em>C. ellae</em> has been recorded from Europe and South America, growing on decomposing wood, bark, and other plant debris in moist forest environments. The feeding stage of the organism is a multinucleate plasmodium that migrates across substrates and engulfs microorganisms and organic particles. Upon maturation, the plasmodium aggregates and differentiates into sporangia that release airborne spores. As with other myxomycetes, the species lacks conventional biological traits such as body length or mass, and no quantitative metrics are available. It is not evaluated on the IUCN Red List.

Common dung beetle

<em>Aphodius pedellus</em>, a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, indicating a stable conservation outlook across its known range. The species has been documented in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States, with its distribution spanning virtually all terrestrial and freshwater biome types. As a member of the Aphodiini tribe, <em>Aphodius pedellus</em> typically inhabits pastures, meadows, and woodland edges where mammalian dung is available, as dung beetles in this genus rely on feces as both a breeding medium and a food resource. These beetles play a critical role in nutrient cycling and soil aeration, breaking down organic waste and accelerating the return of nutrients to the soil. Their burrowing activity beneath dung pats enhances soil structure and improves water infiltration. <em>Aphodius pedellus</em> is part of a guild of coprophagous insects that collectively support healthy agricultural and natural ecosystems across temperate Europe and North America. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden