Cardinal Click Beetle vs Widow Skimmer

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Libellula luctuosa

Key Differences

• Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Widow Skimmer is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Widow Skimmer
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Elateridae	Libellulidae
Genus	Ampedus	Libellula
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Libellula luctuosa

Evolutionary Relationship

Cardinal Click Beetle and Widow Skimmer share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Widow Skimmer

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Widow Skimmer
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.

Widow Skimmer

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in 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.