Common harp ground beetle vs St. Bees Seed-eater

Amara communis compared with Harpalus honestus

Key Differences

• Common harp ground beetle is Least Concern while St. Bees Seed-eater is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common harp ground beetle	St. Bees Seed-eater
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family same	Carabidae	Carabidae
Genus	Amara	Harpalus
Species	Amara communis	Harpalus honestus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common harp ground beetle and St. Bees Seed-eater share a common ancestor at the Family level: Carabidae.

Conservation Status

Common harp ground beetle

LC — Least Concern

St. Bees Seed-eater

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common harp ground beetle	St. Bees Seed-eater
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common harp ground beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

St. Bees Seed-eater

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium and Switzerland. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common harp ground beetle

The common harp ground beetle, <em>Amara communis</em>, is an insect belonging to the order Coleoptera, family Carabidae, the ground beetles. This species is distributed across Europe and North America, indicating a wide Holarctic range. Ground beetles of the genus Amara are typically found in a variety of terrestrial habitats including grasslands, agricultural fields, woodland margins, and disturbed areas. Members of this genus are generally omnivorous or seed-feeding, and some are known to consume weed seeds, giving them potential ecological significance in agroecosystems. <em>Amara communis</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting stable populations across its range. No dietary information has been provided specifically for this species in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇭 Switzerland