Autumn Snowflake vs Common maple aphid

Acis autumnalis compared with Periphyllus testudinaceus

Key Differences

Autumn Snowflake is Least Concern while Common maple aphid is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Autumn Snowflake	Common maple aphid
Kingdom	Plantae (растения)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (магнолиофиты)	Arthropoda (членистоногие)
Class	Liliopsida (лилиопсиды)	Insecta (насекомые)
Order	Asparagales (Спаржецветные)	Hemiptera (полужесткокрылые)
Family	Amaryllidaceae	Aphididae
Genus	Acis	Periphyllus
Species	Acis autumnalis	Periphyllus testudinaceus

Conservation Status

Autumn Snowflake

LC — Least Concern

Common maple aphid

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Autumn Snowflake	Common maple aphid
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Autumn Snowflake

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Found in Norway.

Common maple aphid

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Autumn Snowflake

The Autumn Snowflake (Acis autumnalis) is a species in the genus Acis. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Common maple aphid

<em>Periphyllus testudinaceus</em>, the common maple aphid, is a small sap-sucking insect in the family Aphididae, associated primarily with maple trees of the genus Acer. It is recorded from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. This species has not been formally evaluated for IUCN conservation status. The common maple aphid typically forms colonies on the undersides of maple leaves and along young shoots, feeding on phloem sap and potentially causing leaf curling, discoloration, and reduced tree vigor in heavy infestations. Like many aphid species, it produces honeydew as a metabolic byproduct, which attracts ants that may protect the aphid colonies in exchange. The species exhibits complex life cycles that can involve both sexual and asexual reproduction across seasons. Biological traits including body size, average lifespan, and precise dietary specializations beyond maple sap feeding remain incompletely documented. The common maple aphid is part of the broader community of invertebrates dependent on maple trees across temperate Northern Hemisphere regions.