Cardinal Click Beetle vs

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Clavaria krieglsteineri

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Elateridae	Clavariaceae
Genus	Ampedus	Clavaria
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Clavaria krieglsteineri

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium and Denmark.

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.

Clavaria krieglsteineri is a rare club fungus in the family Clavariaceae, described from central European specimens and named in honor of mycologist G.J. Krieglsteiner. Like other members of the genus Clavaria, it produces simple, slender, unbranched to sparingly forked fruiting bodies, typically pale in coloration, emerging from soil in grassland or lightly wooded habitats. The morphology of Clavaria species can be difficult to distinguish without microscopic examination of spore size, shape, and basidia characters, and molecular phylogenetics has significantly reorganized the genus in recent decades. Clavaria krieglsteineri inhabits unimproved grasslands and semi-natural meadows in central Europe, ecosystems that have declined steeply under agricultural pressure. These grassland coral fungi are sensitive indicators of long-undisturbed soils and are frequently used in national biodiversity assessments as markers of ecologically valuable meadowland. The species is saprotrophic, recycling nutrients from decaying organic matter in shallow soils. Fruiting typically occurs in late summer through autumn, contingent on adequate soil moisture. As with many specialist grassland fungi, Clavaria krieglsteineri faces threats from fertilizer application, ploughing, and the conversion of ancient meadows to arable land or improved pasture. The species is listed on regional red lists in parts of central Europe and is considered rare in the localities where it has been documented.