Coastal Flat-body vs Scarlet Macaw
Agonopterix yeatiana compared with Ara macao
Key Differences
- Coastal Flat-body is Near Threatened while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.
Taxonomic Classification
| Rank | Coastal Flat-body | Scarlet Macaw |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom same | Animalia (Animals) | Animalia (Animals) |
| Phylum | Arthropoda (Arthropods) | Chordata (Chordates) |
| Class | Insecta (Insects) | Aves (Birds) |
| Order | Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths) | Psittaciformes (Parrots) |
| Family | Depressariidae | Psittacidae (True Parrots) |
| Genus | Agonopterix | Ara (Macaws) |
| Species | Agonopterix yeatiana | Ara macao |
Evolutionary Relationship
Coastal Flat-body and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)
Conservation Status
Coastal Flat-body
NT — Near ThreatenedScarlet Macaw
LC — Least ConcernPopulation: ~50.0K
Trend: Decreasing ↓
Physical Characteristics
| Attribute | Coastal Flat-body | Scarlet Macaw |
|---|---|---|
| Diet | — | Herbivore |
| Average Lifespan | — | 50 years |
| Average Length | — | 85 cm |
| Average Weight | — | 1.0 kg |
Habitat & Geographic Range
Coastal Flat-body
Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.
Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.
Scarlet Macaw
Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.
Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of 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.
Scarlet Macaw
One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the Americas, scarlet macaws display vivid red, yellow, and blue plumage with wingspans reaching 1 meter. Found in humid lowland forests from Mexico to Bolivia, they are highly intelligent, long-lived — up to 75 years — and form lifelong pair bonds. They travel long distances to clay licks where they consume mineral-rich soil to detoxify seeds. Listed as Least Concern but locally threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.
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