Cardinal Click Beetle vs Common Goldspeck

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Candelariella vitellina

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Common Goldspeck is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Common Goldspeck
Kingdom	Animalia (Tier)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)
Class	Insecta (Insekten)	Candelariomycetes (Candelariomycetes)
Order	Coleoptera (Käfer)	Candelariales (Candelariales)
Family	Elateridae	Candelariaceae
Genus	Ampedus	Candelariella
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Candelariella vitellina

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Common Goldspeck

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Common Goldspeck
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.

Common Goldspeck

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

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.

Common Goldspeck

<em>Candelariella vitellina</em>, commonly known as common goldspeck, is a crustose lichen belonging to the genus Candelariella within the family Candelariaceae. This species inhabits ecosystems across Europe and North America and South America, reflecting a broad geographic tolerance suited to its saxicolous lifestyle. Its known range includes populations in four European countries, the United States in North America, and Colombia in South America. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that current population trends do not suggest elevated extinction risk. Common goldspeck typically colonizes exposed rock surfaces, bark, and other firm substrates in open environments where light availability supports its photosynthetic activity. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.