vs Coastal Silver-stiletto

Asperococcus ensiformis compared with Acrosathe annulata

Key Differences

is Data Deficient while Coastal Silver-stiletto is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Coastal Silver-stiletto
Kingdom	Chromista (Chromista)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ochrophyta (Ochrophyta)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Phaeophyceae (Phaeophyceae)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Ectocarpales (Ectocarpales)	Diptera (Diptera)
Family	Chordariaceae	Therevidae
Genus	Asperococcus	Acrosathe
Species	Asperococcus ensiformis	Acrosathe annulata

Conservation Status

DD — Data Deficient

Coastal Silver-stiletto

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Coastal Silver-stiletto
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests spanning the Australasia and Oceanian realms.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, New Zealand, and Norway.

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Asperococcus ensiformis is a tubular to flattened brown alga forming elongated, sac-like or sword-shaped thalli attached to rocky substrates. It inhabits intertidal and shallow subtidal rocky shores of the North Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. This photosynthetic macroalga grows on rocks and larger algae in wave-exposed coastal zones.

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Coastal silver stiletto (Acrosathe annulata) is a slender robber fly in the family Therevidae, native to northwestern Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavia. Adults are found on coastal sand dunes and sandy heathland, where they perch on bare sand to ambush small flying insects. Stiletto flies in the family Therevidae are characterised by a slender body, long pointed abdomen, and predatory habits; adults prey on a variety of small dipterans and other flying insects during warm, sunny periods. Larvae develop in sandy soil, where they are also predatory, feeding on other invertebrate larvae. Acrosathe annulata is a habitat specialist restricted to open, sandy coastal habitats with sparse vegetation—environments that have declined substantially across northwestern Europe due to dune stabilisation, recreational disturbance, and the cessation of traditional dune management. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, though regional conservation bodies in the United Kingdom have flagged population declines. It is considered an indicator of high-quality coastal sand dune habitats and is monitored through national invertebrate surveys.