Atlantic devil ray vs Coastal Flat-body

Mobula hypostoma compared with Agonopterix yeatiana

Key Differences

  • Atlantic devil ray is Endangered while Coastal Flat-body is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Atlantic devil ray Coastal Flat-body
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Chordata (Chordates) Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Elasmobranchii Insecta (Insects)
Order Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes) Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family Myliobatidae Depressariidae
Genus Mobula Agonopterix
Species Mobula hypostoma Agonopterix yeatiana

Evolutionary Relationship

Atlantic devil ray and Coastal Flat-body share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Atlantic devil ray

EN — Endangered

Coastal Flat-body

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Atlantic devil ray Coastal Flat-body
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Atlantic devil ray

Coastal Flat-body

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Atlantic devil ray

The Atlantic devil ray (Mobula hypostoma) is a species in the genus Mobula. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Coastal Flat-body

Agonopterix yeatiana, the coastal flat-body, is a small moth in the family Depressariidae native to coastal and calcareous grassland habitats across western and northern Europe, with records from Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden. Moths in the family Depressariidae, commonly called flat-body moths due to the depressed posture they adopt when resting with wings held flat against the surface, are associated predominantly with umbellifer plants of the family Apiaceae as larval hosts. Agonopterix yeatiana larvae feed on wild carrot (Daucus carota), wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), and related coastal and grassland Apiaceae species, inhabiting the open, often calcareous or sandy habitats where these plants grow. Adult moths have greyish-brown forewing with a distinctive pattern of spots and dashes and reach approximately 8–12 millimeters in wingspan. The species is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, reflecting declines associated with the loss of traditional hay meadow management, coastal grassland degradation, and scrub encroachment that eliminates the open, flower-rich grassland habitats supporting its host plants. Agricultural intensification has reduced wild umbellifer populations significantly across lowland Europe, reducing food resources for larvae of specialist moths like A. yeatiana.

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