Cardinal Click Beetle vs Rye Ergot

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Claviceps purpurea

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Rye Ergot is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Rye Ergot
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Hypocreales (Hypocreales)
Family	Elateridae	Clavicipitaceae
Genus	Ampedus	Claviceps
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Claviceps purpurea

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Rye Ergot

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Rye Ergot
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.

Rye Ergot

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (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.