Cardinal Click Beetle vs Dusky Meadow Brown

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Hyponephele lycaon

Key Differences

• Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Dusky Meadow Brown is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Dusky Meadow Brown
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	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Ampedus	Hyponephele
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Hyponephele lycaon

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Dusky Meadow Brown

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Dusky Meadow Brown
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.

Dusky Meadow Brown

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (31 countries).

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:

🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland