Cardinal Click Beetle vs Common Jelly Spot

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Dacrymyces stillatus

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Common Jelly Spot is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Common Jelly Spot
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Dacrymycetes (Dacrymycetes)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Dacrymycetales (Dacrymycetales)
Family	Elateridae	Dacrymycetaceae
Genus	Ampedus	Dacrymyces
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Dacrymyces stillatus

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Common Jelly Spot

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Common Jelly Spot
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.

Common Jelly Spot

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

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.

Common Jelly Spot

<em>Dacrymyces stillatus</em>, commonly known as the common jelly spot, is a saprotrophic fungus in the family Dacrymycetaceae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with records from five European countries and North America. The species typically grows on damp, dead, or decaying wood, particularly coniferous timber, forming small, gelatinous, orange-yellow cushions or pustules on the substrate surface. As a saprotrophic wood-decay fungus, it contributes to nutrient cycling and the decomposition of woody material in temperate forest ecosystems. The bright gelatinous fruiting bodies make it a conspicuous species when encountered on wet wood in cool, humid conditions. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.