Cardinal Click Beetle vs Dusky wireworm

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Agriotes obscurus

Key Differences

• Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Dusky wireworm is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Dusky wireworm
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family same	Elateridae	Elateridae
Genus	Ampedus	Agriotes
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Agriotes obscurus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cardinal Click Beetle and Dusky wireworm share a common ancestor at the Family level: Elateridae.

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Dusky wireworm

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Dusky wireworm
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 wireworm

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada, 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 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland