Fuscous Flat-body Moth (Agonopterix capreolella)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - moth > Moth |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Agonopterix capreolella |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Zeller, 1839) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | (No GB Red List for micro-moths.) A very poorly understood species with difficulties in identification of the adult moth but currently known for certain from just one site. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Needs bespoke larval surveys at former and potential sites in order to understand current status before further actions can be implemented. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | Currently thought to require calcareous grasslands with minimal or no management. Species only occurs in a few sites in UK, so is too rare to benefit from this. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 1. Taxonomy established |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Currently almost no surveys have been carried out for this species and the larva has only been found in Britain once. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Undertake surveys to determine the best timing and methodology for larval surveys, then survey sites with historic records.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 20 sites
High priority sites: Initial studies on Isle of Wight which is the only site with confirmed recent records.
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Undertake research to determine the extent to which sites can be grazed, whilst still retaining a robust population of this species. This is important as other notable species on chalk grassland tend to require grazing and the balance between this species and other features of interest needs to be determined.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: Isle of Wight
Comments:
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.