CR — Critically Endangered

Green Silver-spangled Shark [moth]

Cucullia argentea

Cucullia argentea, the green silver-spangled shark, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1766.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucullia_argentea

01 — Classification

Taxonomy & Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Noctuidae

Genus

Cucullia

Green Silver-spangled Shark [moth] belongs to the family Noctuidae, order Lepidoptera, within the Insecta class.

02 — Description

Species Profile

Cucullia argentea, the green silver-spangled shark, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1766. It is found in southern and central Europe through Siberia, Mongolia and Manchuria up to Korea and Japan.

The Green Silver-spangled Shark moth (Cucullia argentea) faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized coastal dune and saltmarsh ecosystems. Climate change and sea level rise pose additional threats to its remaining fragmented populations along European coastlines.

Key Facts

IUCN StatusCritically Endangered (CR)

GroupInsects

04 — Threats

Threats

IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

The Green Silver-spangled Shark moth (Cucullia argentea) faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized coastal dune and saltmarsh ecosystems. Climate change and sea level rise pose additional threats to its remaining fragmented populations along European coastlines.

Climate change altering host plant distribution

HighOngoing

Coastal habitat loss and fragmentation

HighOngoing

Sea level rise and coastal erosion

HighOngoing

Agricultural intensification near coastal areas

MediumOngoing

Urban development and tourism pressure

MediumOngoing

Community

Community Sightings

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07 — Sources

Sources & Attribution

Wikipedia

How to Cite

IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS

GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org

This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Green Silver-spangled Shark [moth] (Cucullia argentea). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/green-silver-spangled-shark-moth

Full citation guide & data usage terms