vs Common Sun Beetle

Comatricha filamentosa compared with Amara aenea

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Common Sun Beetle
Kingdom	Protozoa (原生動物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Mycetozoa	Arthropoda (節足動物)
Class	Myxomycetes (変形菌綱)	Insecta (昆虫)
Order	Stemonitidales	Coleoptera (コウチュウ目)
Family	Stemonitidaceae	Carabidae
Genus	Comatricha	Amara
Species	Comatricha filamentosa	Amara aenea

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Sun Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across 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).

<em>Comatricha filamentosa</em> is a myxomycete belonging to the genus <em>Comatricha</em>, order Stemonitidales, class Myxomycetes. The species is distinguished within the genus by features of its filamentous capillitial threads and spore morphology, which are used as diagnostic characters in taxonomic identification. It has been recorded from Europe, where it inhabits decaying wood and plant litter in forest and woodland habitats. Like other plasmodial slime molds, <em>C. filamentosa</em> passes through a motile plasmodial feeding stage, consuming bacteria, fungi, and decomposing organic matter, before forming fruiting bodies under conditions of environmental stress or nutritional depletion. The resulting sporangia release spores suited for wind dispersal. This species plays a role in nutrient cycling within woodland ecosystems. No quantitative biological metrics are available, and it has not been assessed by the IUCN.

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 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden