Cardinal Click Beetle vs Tiny Earthstar

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Geastrum minimum

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Tiny Earthstar is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Tiny Earthstar
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Geastrales (Geastrales)
Family	Elateridae	Geastraceae
Genus	Ampedus	Geastrum
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Geastrum minimum

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Tiny Earthstar

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Tiny Earthstar
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.

Tiny Earthstar

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). 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.