Cardinal Click Beetle vs Thistle Tortoise Beetle

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Cassida rubiginosa

Key Differences

• Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Thistle Tortoise Beetle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Thistle Tortoise Beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Elateridae	Chrysomelidae
Genus	Ampedus	Cassida
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Cassida rubiginosa

Evolutionary Relationship

Cardinal Click Beetle and Thistle Tortoise Beetle share a common ancestor at the Order level: Coleoptera. (Beetles)

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Thistle Tortoise Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Thistle Tortoise Beetle
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.

Thistle Tortoise Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (4 countries) and North America (Canada, 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