Coastal Silver-stiletto vs Yili Shutu

Acrosathe annulata compared with Ochotona iliensis

Key Differences

• Coastal Silver-stiletto is Least Concern while Yili Shutu is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Silver-stiletto	Yili Shutu
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)	Lagomorpha (兔形目)
Family	Therevidae	Ochotonidae
Genus	Acrosathe	Ochotona
Species	Acrosathe annulata	Ochotona iliensis

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Coastal Silver-stiletto

LC — Least Concern

Yili Shutu

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Silver-stiletto	Yili Shutu
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Yili Shutu

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.