Cardinal Click Beetle vs Leopard Earthball

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Scleroderma areolatum

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Leopard Earthball is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Leopard Earthball
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Boletales (Boletales)
Family	Elateridae	Sclerodermataceae
Genus	Ampedus	Scleroderma
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Scleroderma areolatum

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Leopard Earthball

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Leopard Earthball
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.

Leopard Earthball

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

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.