Coastal Flat-body vs Common Barred Sailor

Agonopterix yeatiana compared with Neptis laeta

Key Differences

• Coastal Flat-body is Near Threatened while Common Barred Sailor is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Flat-body	Common Barred Sailor
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Depressariidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Agonopterix	Neptis
Species	Agonopterix yeatiana	Neptis laeta

Evolutionary Relationship

Coastal Flat-body and Common Barred Sailor share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

Coastal Flat-body

NT — Near Threatened

Common Barred Sailor

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Flat-body	Common Barred Sailor
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Common Barred Sailor

Habitat

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.

Common Barred Sailor

The common barred sailor (<em>Neptis laeta</em>) is a butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae, found in terrestrial and freshwater habitats across its range. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, suggesting the species is not currently facing significant threats to its population. Like other members of the genus <em>Neptis</em>, the common barred sailor is typically characterized by striking dark wings adorned with white banding, giving it a distinctive sailor-like appearance. These butterflies often inhabit forest edges, woodland clearings, and areas with abundant larval host plants. Adults are often observed gliding and sailing on forest paths and sunlit openings, a characteristic flight pattern of the genus. The larvae typically feed on specific host plant species, and the species life cycle includes egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.