Cardinal Click Beetle vs Lesser Emperor

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Anax parthenope

Key Differences

• Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Lesser Emperor is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Lesser Emperor
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Elateridae	Aeshnidae
Genus	Ampedus	Anax
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Anax parthenope

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Lesser Emperor

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Lesser Emperor
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.

Lesser Emperor

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (6 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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden