Cardinal Click Beetle vs Headfly

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Hydrotaea irritans

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Headfly
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Diptera (Diptera)
Family	Elateridae	Muscidae
Genus	Ampedus	Hydrotaea
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Hydrotaea irritans

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Headfly

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Headfly
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.

Headfly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden