Cardinal Click Beetle vs Dark-Spored Puffball

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Lycoperdon atropurpureum

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Dark-Spored Puffball is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Dark-Spored Puffball
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Elateridae	Lycoperdaceae
Genus	Ampedus	Lycoperdon
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Lycoperdon atropurpureum

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Dark-Spored Puffball

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Dark-Spored Puffball
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.

Dark-Spored Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

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

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.