Blue Mason Bee vs Coastal Flat-body

Osmia caerulescens compared with Agonopterix yeatiana

Key Differences

  • Blue Mason Bee is Least Concern while Coastal Flat-body is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Blue Mason Bee Coastal Flat-body
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same Arthropoda (Arthropods) Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same Insecta (Insects) Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps) Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family Megachilidae Depressariidae
Genus Osmia Agonopterix
Species Osmia caerulescens Agonopterix yeatiana

Evolutionary Relationship

Blue Mason Bee and Coastal Flat-body share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Blue Mason Bee

LC — Least Concern

Coastal Flat-body

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Blue Mason Bee Coastal Flat-body
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blue Mason Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand).

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.

Blue Mason Bee

The Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens) is a species in the genus Osmia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

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