Cardinal Click Beetle vs St. James' shell

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Pecten maximus

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while St. James' shell is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	St. James' shell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Pectinida (Pectinida)
Family	Elateridae	Pectinidae
Genus	Ampedus	Pecten
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Pecten maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cardinal Click Beetle and St. James' shell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

View Kingdom: Animalia

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

St. James' shell

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	St. James' shell
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.

St. James' shell

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China), Europe (8 countries), and South America (Chile).

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.

St. James' shell

St. James' shell (Pecten maximus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.