Coastal Silver-stiletto vs European otter

Acrosathe annulata compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

Coastal Silver-stiletto is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Silver-stiletto	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (动物界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Insecta (昆蟲綱)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Diptera (雙翅目)	Carnivora (食肉目)
Family	Therevidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Acrosathe	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Acrosathe annulata	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Coastal Silver-stiletto and European otter share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (动物界)

查看 Kingdom: Animalia

Conservation Status

Coastal Silver-stiletto

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Silver-stiletto	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

European otter

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Coastal silver stiletto (Acrosathe annulata) is a slender robber fly in the family Therevidae, native to northwestern Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavia. Adults are found on coastal sand dunes and sandy heathland, where they perch on bare sand to ambush small flying insects. Stiletto flies in the family Therevidae are characterised by a slender body, long pointed abdomen, and predatory habits; adults prey on a variety of small dipterans and other flying insects during warm, sunny periods. Larvae develop in sandy soil, where they are also predatory, feeding on other invertebrate larvae. Acrosathe annulata is a habitat specialist restricted to open, sandy coastal habitats with sparse vegetation—environments that have declined substantially across northwestern Europe due to dune stabilisation, recreational disturbance, and the cessation of traditional dune management. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, though regional conservation bodies in the United Kingdom have flagged population declines. It is considered an indicator of high-quality coastal sand dune habitats and is monitored through national invertebrate surveys.

European otter

欧洲水獭（Lutra lutra）是一种纤细的半水生鼬科动物，分布于欧洲和亚洲的清洁河流、溪流和海岸线。欧洲水獭体长可达1.3米，是技术娴熟的捕鱼者，利用敏感的胡须探测猎物的动向。它们需要鱼类丰富的清洁水域，是淡水生态系统健康状况的指示物种。曾因狩猎和污染在西欧几近灭绝，随着水质改善，种群数量已显著恢复。