Cardinal Click Beetle vs Clouded Agaric

Ampedus cardinalis compared with Clitocybe nebularis

Key Differences

Cardinal Click Beetle is Critically Endangered while Clouded Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Click Beetle	Clouded Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (artrópodos)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (insecto)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Coleoptera (coleópteros)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Elateridae	Tricholomataceae
Genus	Ampedus	Clitocybe
Species	Ampedus cardinalis	Clitocybe nebularis

Conservation Status

Cardinal Click Beetle

CR — Critically Endangered

Clouded Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Click Beetle	Clouded Agaric
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.

Clouded Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and United States.

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.

Clouded Agaric

The clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis, syn. Lepista nebularis) is a large, robust saprotrophic mushroom in the family Tricholomataceae found across temperate broadleaved and mixed forests of Europe and North America. It produces pale grey to buff fruiting bodies with broad, wavy caps up to 20 cm diameter, crowded, slightly decurrent gills, and a stout stipe, typically emerging in large fairy rings or scattered groups in autumn woodland settings. The common name 'clouded' refers to the greyish, misty coloration of the cap surface. Though historically eaten in parts of Europe and considered edible when thoroughly cooked, C. nebularis is now known to contain toxic compounds and a heat-labile gastrointestinal toxin that causes illness in some individuals, and it is associated with documented poisoning cases. Its strong mealy odor is distinctive. The species is widespread and common across European deciduous forests, fruiting reliably in autumn and forming an important component of the saprotrophic fungal community responsible for decomposing accumulated leaf litter and organic matter in temperate forest ecosystems.