Coastal Flat-body vs Common Milkwort

Agonopterix yeatiana compared with Polygala vulgaris

Key Differences

• Coastal Flat-body is Near Threatened while Common Milkwort is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Flat-body	Common Milkwort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Depressariidae	Polygalaceae
Genus	Agonopterix	Polygala
Species	Agonopterix yeatiana	Polygala vulgaris

Conservation Status

Coastal Flat-body

NT — Near Threatened

Common Milkwort

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Flat-body	Common Milkwort
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 Milkwort

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (6 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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 Milkwort

Common Milkwort (<em>Polygala vulgaris</em>) is a small flowering plant in the genus <em>Polygala</em>, family Polygalaceae. It is distributed across Europe, North America, and Oceania, with confirmed presence in countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, and Finland. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats ranging from tropical forests to temperate grasslands, this species favors calcareous grasslands, heathlands, and other open, well-drained habitats. Common Milkwort produces small flowers in shades of blue, pink, or white, and is associated with traditional grassland communities. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the species faces significant conservation challenges across its range, likely driven by habitat loss through agricultural intensification and the decline of traditionally managed grasslands. Specific biological measurements such as lifespan, length, and weight are not documented in available records. The genus name <em>Polygala</em> derives from Greek meaning "much milk," reflecting a historical belief that the plant could increase milk production in livestock.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden