Bracken vs Common Sun Beetle

Pteridium aquilinum compared with Amara aenea

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bracken	Common Sun Beetle
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Dennstaedtiaceae	Carabidae
Genus	Pteridium	Amara
Species	Pteridium aquilinum	Amara aenea

Conservation Status

Bracken

LC — Least Concern

Common Sun Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bracken	Common Sun Beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bracken

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (6 countries), Asia (Iran, Turkey), Europe (6 countries), North America (4 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (4 countries).

Common Sun Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Bracken

The Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is a species in the genus Pteridium. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Ne

Common Sun Beetle

<em>Amara aenea</em>, the common sun beetle, is a carabid ground beetle in the family Carabidae, order Coleoptera. It is broadly distributed across Europe and has been introduced to North America, typically inhabiting open, sunny habitats such as arable fields, grasslands, sandy heathlands, and disturbed ground with sparse vegetation. Adults are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, small invertebrates, and plant material, and are considered important predators of weed seeds in agricultural systems. <em>Amara aenea</em> is surface-active during warm, dry conditions, typically exhibiting peak activity in late spring and summer. Like many carabid beetles, it is nocturnal and shelters under stones and debris during the day. Larvae develop in the soil, where they also feed on organic matter and small invertebrates. Biological traits including precise adult lifespan, body length measurements, and detailed prey preferences remain poorly documented at the species level. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide distribution, high adaptability to disturbed environments, and no significant known threats to global population status.