Coastal Flat-body vs Compact Stonewort

Agonopterix yeatiana compared with Nitella mucronata

Key Differences

• Coastal Flat-body is Near Threatened while Compact Stonewort is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Flat-body	Compact Stonewort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Charophyta (Charophyta)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Charophyceae (Charophyceae)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Charales (Charales)
Family	Depressariidae	Characeae
Genus	Agonopterix	Nitella
Species	Agonopterix yeatiana	Nitella mucronata

Conservation Status

Coastal Flat-body

NT — Near Threatened

Compact Stonewort

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Flat-body	Compact Stonewort
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.

Compact Stonewort

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). 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.

Compact Stonewort

<em>Nitella mucronata</em>, compact stonewort, is a freshwater macroalga in the family Characeae, belonging to the charophyte lineage considered the closest algal relatives of land plants. It has been recorded from fresh and brackish water bodies in Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United States, inhabiting clear, nutrient-poor lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams. Stoneworts of the genus Nitella are delicate, translucent plants lacking the calcium carbonate encrustation typical of the related genus Chara, growing submerged in well-lit, oligotrophic aquatic environments. They typically form dense underwater meadows that provide important habitat for invertebrates and small fish, while also stabilising sediments and contributing to water clarity through nutrient uptake. <em>Nitella mucronata</em> is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, reflecting sensitivity to water quality deterioration, eutrophication from agricultural runoff and sewage, and the loss of clear, unpolluted water bodies across its range in Europe and beyond. The species is particularly vulnerable to increased phosphorus and nitrogen loading, which promotes algal blooms that shade out submerged macrophytes. Biological traits including average lifespan, reproduction rates, and morphological measurements remain poorly documented compared to more widespread charophyte species. Conservation of <em>Nitella mucronata</em> depends on improving water quality in its freshwater habitats and protecting oligotrophic water bodies from nutrient pollution.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden