vs Common Sun Beetle

Buellia ocellata compared with Amara aenea

Key Differences

is Near Threatened while Common Sun Beetle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Common Sun Beetle
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Caliciales (Caliciales)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Caliciaceae	Carabidae
Genus	Buellia	Amara
Species	Buellia ocellata	Amara aenea

Conservation Status

NT — Near Threatened

Common Sun Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

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).

Buellia ocellata is a crustose lichen with a pale grey to white areolate thallus bearing dark lecideine apothecia surrounded by a paler excipular ring. It inhabits exposed bark of old deciduous trees and smooth-barked conifers in temperate European woodlands. This lichen is sensitive to air quality changes and associated with veteran trees in ancient woodland.

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.