Cardinal Click Beetle vs

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Clostridium carnis

Key Differences

• Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Firmicutes_A
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Clostridia (Clostridia)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Clostridiales (Clostridiales)
Family	Elateridae	Clostridiaceae
Genus	Ampedus	Clostridium
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Clostridium carnis

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

NE — Not Evaluated

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

Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

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.

Clostridium carnis is an anaerobic, endospore-forming bacterium in the family Clostridiaceae typically isolated from meat (caro/carnis, Latin for meat) and animal tissues, as well as soil and sediments. Like other clostridia, it is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive rod that survives adverse conditions by forming heat-resistant endospores. C. carnis is associated with putrefaction processes in proteinaceous substrates, producing proteolytic enzymes that break down meat proteins, contributing to gas gangrene and tissue necrosis in infected wounds under anaerobic conditions. It is considered one of the histotoxic clostridia capable of causing wound infections in humans and animals, though it is less clinically significant than C. perfringens or C. septicum. Isolated from soil, intestinal contents, and meat products, C. carnis contributes to anaerobic decomposition of organic nitrogen compounds, releasing ammonia and simpler organic acids back into the environment. Its resistance to environmental conditions through sporulation makes it persistent in soil environments associated with animal husbandry and meat processing facilities.