Common Carder Bee vs Common Flat-body

Bombus pascuorum compared with Agonopterix heracliana

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Carder Bee	Common Flat-body
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Apidae (Bees)	Depressariidae
Genus	Bombus	Agonopterix
Species	Bombus pascuorum	Agonopterix heracliana

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Carder Bee and Common Flat-body share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Common Carder Bee

LC — Least Concern

Common Flat-body

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Carder Bee	Common Flat-body
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Carder Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

Common Flat-body

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Carder Bee

<em>Bombus pascuorum</em>, commonly known as the common carder bee, is a bumblebee species found across Europe, with documented occurrences in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and additional European countries. It typically inhabits all terrestrial and freshwater environments, often foraging across a wide range of flowering plants in meadows, gardens, hedgerows, and farmland. The species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating a broadly stable global population. Common carder bee belongs to the genus <em>Bombus</em> within the family Apidae and is one of the more widely distributed bumblebee species in Europe. It often nests above ground in dry grass, moss, or other plant material, building compact nests characteristic of carder bees. As a generalist pollinator, it visits a diverse range of flowering species and contributes meaningfully to ecosystem pollination services. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body length, and mass of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Common Flat-body

<em>Agonopterix heracliana</em> is a moth belonging to the family Depressariidae within the order Lepidoptera. Commonly known as the common flat-body, this species is named for the flattened resting posture characteristic of the genus Agonopterix. The species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with no indication of significant population decline. <em>Agonopterix heracliana</em> is distributed across northwestern Europe, with documented occurrences in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Larvae of this species are typically associated with plants in the family Apiaceae, particularly hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) and related umbellifers, upon which they feed while sheltering in rolled or folded leaves. Adults are typically brownish with subtle markings and are active from late summer through winter and early spring, overwintering as adults — an unusual life history trait among moths. The species inhabits hedgerows, woodland margins, and meadows where its host plants are abundant. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden