Cardinal Spider vs Common Sun Beetle

Tegenaria parietina compared with Amara aenea

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Spider	Common Sun Beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Arachnida (Arachnids)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Araneae (Araneae)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Agelenidae	Carabidae
Genus	Tegenaria	Amara
Species	Tegenaria parietina	Amara aenea

Evolutionary Relationship

Cardinal Spider and Common Sun Beetle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Arthropoda. (Arthropods)

Conservation Status

Cardinal Spider

LC — Least Concern

Common Sun Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Spider	Common Sun Beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cardinal Spider

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Distributed across Austria, Belgium, Denmark, and Portugal.

Common Sun Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Cardinal Spider

The Cardinal Spider (Tegenaria parietina) is a species in the genus Tegenaria. It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Common Sun Beetle

<em>Amara aenea</em>, the common sun beetle, is a carabid ground beetle in the family Carabidae, order Coleoptera. It is broadly distributed across Europe and has been introduced to North America, typically inhabiting open, sunny habitats such as arable fields, grasslands, sandy heathlands, and disturbed ground with sparse vegetation. Adults are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, small invertebrates, and plant material, and are considered important predators of weed seeds in agricultural systems. <em>Amara aenea</em> is surface-active during warm, dry conditions, typically exhibiting peak activity in late spring and summer. Like many carabid beetles, it is nocturnal and shelters under stones and debris during the day. Larvae develop in the soil, where they also feed on organic matter and small invertebrates. Biological traits including precise adult lifespan, body length measurements, and detailed prey preferences remain poorly documented at the species level. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide distribution, high adaptability to disturbed environments, and no significant known threats to global population status.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇵🇹 Portugal