Adonis' Ladybird vs small tortoiseshell

Hippodamia variegata compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Adonis' Ladybird is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Adonis' Ladybird	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Coccinellidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Hippodamia	Aglais
Species	Hippodamia variegata	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Adonis' Ladybird and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Adonis' Ladybird

EN — Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Adonis' Ladybird	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Adonis' Ladybird

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (5 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Chile). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Adonis' Ladybird

The Adonis' Ladybird (Hippodamia variegata) is a species in the genus Hippodamia. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic r.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden