Arctic Blue vs Smooth Map Lichen

Agriades aquilo compared with Rhizocarpon hochstetteri

Key Differences

• Arctic Blue is Near Threatened while Smooth Map Lichen is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic Blue	Smooth Map Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (arthropodes)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Insecta (insecte)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Rhizocarpales (Rhizocarpales)
Family	Lycaenidae	Rhizocarpaceae
Genus	Agriades	Rhizocarpon
Species	Agriades aquilo	Rhizocarpon hochstetteri

Conservation Status

Arctic Blue

NT — Near Threatened

Smooth Map Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic Blue	Smooth Map Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic Blue

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Finland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Smooth Map 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.

Arctic Blue

The Arctic Blue (Agriades aquilo) is a species in the genus Agriades. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden