Common Flat-body vs Redshouldered ham beetle

Agonopterix heracliana compared with Necrobia ruficollis

Key Differences

• Common Flat-body is Least Concern while Redshouldered ham beetle is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Flat-body	Redshouldered ham beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Depressariidae	Cleridae
Genus	Agonopterix	Necrobia
Species	Agonopterix heracliana	Necrobia ruficollis

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Flat-body and Redshouldered ham beetle share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Common Flat-body

LC — Least Concern

Redshouldered ham beetle

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Flat-body	Redshouldered ham beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Flat-body

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Redshouldered ham beetle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Oceanian and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China, Japan, Taiwan), Europe (12 countries), and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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