Common Carder Bee vs Common Sun Beetle

Bombus pascuorum compared with Amara aenea

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Carder Bee	Common Sun Beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Apidae (Bees)	Carabidae
Genus	Bombus	Amara
Species	Bombus pascuorum	Amara aenea

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Carder Bee and Common Sun Beetle share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Common Carder Bee

LC — Least Concern

Common Sun Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Carder Bee	Common Sun Beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Carder Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

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).

Common Carder Bee

<em>Bombus pascuorum</em>, commonly known as the common carder bee, is a bumblebee species found across Europe, with documented occurrences in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and additional European countries. It typically inhabits all terrestrial and freshwater environments, often foraging across a wide range of flowering plants in meadows, gardens, hedgerows, and farmland. The species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating a broadly stable global population. Common carder bee belongs to the genus <em>Bombus</em> within the family Apidae and is one of the more widely distributed bumblebee species in Europe. It often nests above ground in dry grass, moss, or other plant material, building compact nests characteristic of carder bees. As a generalist pollinator, it visits a diverse range of flowering species and contributes meaningfully to ecosystem pollination services. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body length, and mass of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

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 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden