Cardinal Click Beetle vs Soft Puffball

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Lycoperdon molle

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Soft Puffball is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Soft Puffball
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Elateridae	Lycoperdaceae
Genus	Ampedus	Lycoperdon
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Lycoperdon molle

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Soft Puffball

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Soft Puffball
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.

Soft Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 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.