Coastal Flat-body vs Common Spruce Bell

Agonopterix yeatiana compared with Epinotia tedella

Key Differences

• Coastal Flat-body is Near Threatened while Common Spruce Bell is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Flat-body	Common Spruce Bell
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	Tortricidae
Genus	Agonopterix	Epinotia
Species	Agonopterix yeatiana	Epinotia tedella

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Coastal Flat-body

NT — Near Threatened

Common Spruce Bell

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Flat-body	Common Spruce Bell
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 Spruce Bell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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 Spruce Bell

<em>Epinotia tedella</em>, commonly known as the common spruce bell, is a small tortrix moth in the family Tortricidae, distributed across Europe wherever its primary host plant, <em>Picea abies</em> (Norway spruce), occurs. This species typically inhabits spruce forests, forest plantations, and woodland edges with significant spruce components, from lowland areas to montane elevations throughout much of the European continent. Its geographic range extends from Scandinavia and the British Isles south through central and eastern Europe, broadly following the distribution of its conifer hosts. Classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, <em>Epinotia tedella</em> maintains stable populations across its range and is not considered threatened. The larvae feed internally within the needles of <em>Picea</em> species, mining leaf tissue and occasionally causing noticeable damage during outbreak years in plantation forestry. Adults are small moths with a wingspan of approximately 12–16 mm, displaying forewing patterns of brownish-grey with silvery strigulae typical of the genus. The species produces one generation per year, with adults flying from late spring to midsummer. Biological traits such as average lifespan in years, precise body weight, and detailed population dynamics remain poorly documented for this minor forestry pest. Diet consists primarily of Norway spruce needle tissue during the larval stage.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden