Cardinal Click Beetle vs Wheat smut

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Tilletia caries

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Wheat smut is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Wheat smut
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Exobasidiomycetes (Exobasidiomycetes)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Tilletiales (Tilletiales)
Family	Elateridae	Tilletiaceae
Genus	Ampedus	Tilletia
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Tilletia caries

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Wheat smut

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Wheat smut
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.

Wheat smut

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (9 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.