Coastal Flat-body vs Collembola

Agonopterix yeatiana compared with Folsomides angularis

Key Differences

• Coastal Flat-body is Near Threatened while Collembola is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Flat-body	Collembola
Kingdom same	Animalia (动物界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)
Class	Insecta (昆蟲綱)	Collembola (弹尾纲)
Order	Lepidoptera (鱗翅目)	Entomobryomorpha (长角䖴目)
Family	Depressariidae	Isotomidae
Genus	Agonopterix	Folsomides
Species	Agonopterix yeatiana	Folsomides angularis

Evolutionary Relationship

Coastal Flat-body and Collembola share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Arthropoda. (节肢动物门)

Conservation Status

Coastal Flat-body

NT — Near Threatened

Collembola

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Flat-body	Collembola
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.

Collembola

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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.

Collembola

<em>Folsomides angularis</em>, commonly referred to as Collembola in reference to its broader taxonomic order, is a springtail species belonging to the genus <em>Folsomides</em>. Springtails are among the most abundant hexapods in terrestrial ecosystems, playing important roles in soil decomposition and nutrient cycling. This species has been documented in Europe, with records from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, as well as North America, where it is known from the United States. It typically inhabits soil, leaf litter, and decaying organic matter, and is capable of tolerating a range of environmental conditions. Springtails of this group are detritivores, feeding on decomposing plant material, fungal hyphae, and microorganisms, though specific dietary data for <em>Folsomides angularis</em> are not detailed in current records. The species has not been formally assessed for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Its small body size and cryptic lifestyle make detailed ecological study challenging.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden