Common Flat-body vs saltmarsh flat-sedge

Agonopterix heracliana compared with Blysmus rufus

Key Differences

Common Flat-body is Least Concern while saltmarsh flat-sedge is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Flat-body	saltmarsh flat-sedge
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Poales (Grasses)
Family	Depressariidae	Cyperaceae
Genus	Agonopterix	Blysmus
Species	Agonopterix heracliana	Blysmus rufus

Conservation Status

Common Flat-body

LC — Least Concern

saltmarsh flat-sedge

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Flat-body	saltmarsh flat-sedge
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.

saltmarsh flat-sedge

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable 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.