common hydra vs Common Sun Beetle

Hydra vulgaris compared with Amara aenea

Key Differences

• common hydra is Not Evaluated while Common Sun Beetle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common hydra	Common Sun Beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Cnidaria (Cnidarians)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Hydrozoa (Hydrozoa)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Anthoathecata (Anthoathecata)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Hydridae	Carabidae
Genus	Hydra	Amara
Species	Hydra vulgaris	Amara aenea

Evolutionary Relationship

common hydra and Common Sun Beetle share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

common hydra

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Sun Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common hydra	Common Sun Beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

common hydra

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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 hydra

<em>Hydra vulgaris</em>, commonly known as the common hydra, is a small freshwater cnidarian in the family Hydridae. Its conservation status has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN. The species is recorded from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, with its native range understood to encompass Europe broadly. It typically inhabits slow-moving or still freshwater bodies such as ponds, lakes, and streams, where it attaches to aquatic vegetation or submerged substrates. The common hydra is notable for its remarkable regenerative capabilities and has been the subject of substantial biological research. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits 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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden