Cardinal Click Beetle vs Cutworm

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Spodoptera litura

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Cutworm
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Elateridae	Noctuidae
Genus	Ampedus	Spodoptera
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Spodoptera litura

Evolutionary Relationship

Cardinal Click Beetle and Cutworm share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Cutworm

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Cutworm
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.

Cutworm

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Maldives, Taiwan), Europe (8 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway