Cantharid beetle vs Cardinal Click Beetle

Cantharis nigra compared with Ampedus cardinalis

Key Differences

• Cantharid beetle is Near Threatened while Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cantharid beetle	Cardinal Click Beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Cantharidae	Elateridae
Genus	Cantharis	Ampedus
Species	Cantharis nigra	Ampedus cardinalis

Evolutionary Relationship

Cantharid beetle and Cardinal Click Beetle share a common ancestor at the Order level: Coleoptera. (Beetles)

Conservation Status

Cantharid beetle

NT — Near Threatened

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cantharid beetle	Cardinal Click Beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cantharid beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Cardinal Click Beetle

Habitat

Inhabits temperate coniferous forests within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cantharid beetle

The Cantharid beetle (Cantharis nigra) is a species in the genus Cantharis. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Cardinal Click Beetle

The Cardinal Click Beetle (Ampedus cardinalis) is a species in the genus Ampedus. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits temperate coniferous forests within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland