Cardinal Click Beetle vs Hardback Beetle

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Tenebrio molitor

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Hardback Beetle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Hardback Beetle
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	Elateridae	Tenebrionidae
Genus	Ampedus	Tenebrio
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Tenebrio molitor

Evolutionary Relationship

Cardinal Click Beetle and Hardback Beetle share a common ancestor at the Order level: Coleoptera. (Beetles)

View Order: Coleoptera

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Hardback Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Hardback Beetle
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.

Hardback Beetle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate coniferous forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and deserts and xeric shrublands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan, Mongolia), Europe (9 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.