Cardinal Click Beetle vs small blue

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Cupido minimus

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while small blue is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	small blue
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Elateridae	Lycaenidae
Genus	Ampedus	Cupido
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Cupido minimus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

View Class: Insecta

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

small blue

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	small blue
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.

small blue

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (39 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

small blue

small blue (Cupido minimus) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.