Common Sun Beetle vs Mountain Webcap

Amara aenea compared with Cortinarius alpinus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Sun Beetle	Mountain Webcap
Kingdom	Animalia (動物)	Fungi (菌界)
Phylum	Arthropoda (節足動物)	Basidiomycota (担子菌門)
Class	Insecta (昆虫)	Agaricomycetes (真正担子菌綱)
Order	Coleoptera (コウチュウ目)	Agaricales (ハラタケ目)
Family	Carabidae	Cortinariaceae
Genus	Amara	Cortinarius
Species	Amara aenea	Cortinarius alpinus

Conservation Status

Common Sun Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Mountain Webcap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

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).

Mountain Webcap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

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.