Cardinal Click Beetle vs square-spot rustic

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Xestia xanthographa

Key Differences

• Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while square-spot rustic is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	square-spot rustic
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	Noctuidae
Genus	Ampedus	Xestia
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Xestia xanthographa

Evolutionary Relationship

Cardinal Click Beetle and square-spot rustic share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

square-spot rustic

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	square-spot rustic
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.

square-spot rustic

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden