Coastal Flat-body vs Common Violet

Agonopterix yeatiana compared with Viola odorata

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Flat-body	Common Violet
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family	Depressariidae	Violaceae
Genus	Agonopterix	Viola
Species	Agonopterix yeatiana	Viola odorata

Conservation Status

Coastal Flat-body

NT — Near Threatened

Common Violet

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Flat-body	Common Violet
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 Violet

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (4 countries), Europe (14 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (5 countries).

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 Violet

<em>Viola odorata</em>, commonly known as the common violet or sweet violet, is a low-growing perennial herb in the family Violaceae native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, and now widely naturalized across temperate regions globally. This species typically inhabits woodland margins, hedgerows, shaded banks, meadows, and gardens, thriving in moist, humus-rich soils under partial to full shade. <em>Viola odorata</em> is one of the earliest spring-flowering plants in its native range, producing distinctive deep violet, occasionally white or pink, fragrant flowers from late winter through early spring. The characteristic sweet fragrance is produced by ionone compounds and has made this species extensively cultivated for use in perfumery, confectionery, and herbal medicine for centuries. The plant spreads vegetatively via stolons in addition to seed dispersal, enabling it to form dense ground-covering colonies in favorable habitats. The flowers and leaves are edible and have been used in culinary traditions across Europe as garnishes and salad ingredients. <em>Viola odorata</em> is an important early nectar source for bumblebees and other early-season pollinators. The species is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with widespread and stable populations. Biological traits including average lifespan, plant height, and individual weight remain variable and are poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden