Cardinal Click Beetle vs Prickly Coontail

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Ceratophyllum echinatum

Key Differences

• Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Prickly Coontail is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Prickly Coontail
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Ceratophyllales (Ceratophyllales)
Family	Elateridae	Ceratophyllaceae
Genus	Ampedus	Ceratophyllum
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Ceratophyllum echinatum

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Prickly Coontail

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Prickly Coontail
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.

Prickly Coontail

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada and 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.