Coastal Flat-body vs Common Hawkweed

Agonopterix yeatiana compared with Hieracium lachenalii

Key Differences

• Coastal Flat-body is Near Threatened while Common Hawkweed is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Flat-body	Common Hawkweed
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Depressariidae	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Agonopterix	Hieracium
Species	Agonopterix yeatiana	Hieracium lachenalii

Conservation Status

Coastal Flat-body

NT — Near Threatened

Common Hawkweed

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Flat-body	Common Hawkweed
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 Hawkweed

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in United States.

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 Hawkweed

The common hawkweed, <em>Hieracium lachenalii</em>, is a flowering plant belonging to the family Asteraceae, the daisy family. Its known range includes the United States, where it may be found as a non-native introduction, as many hawkweeds have naturalized broadly beyond their native European ranges. As a member of the genus Hieracium, <em>Hieracium lachenalii</em> is a perennial herb typically recognized by its dandelion-like yellow flower heads and rosette of basal leaves. Hawkweeds are known for their complex taxonomy and tendency toward apomixis, the production of seeds without fertilization, which has led to the description of numerous microspecies within the genus. No dietary information has been provided for this species. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.