alfalfa leaf-cutter bee vs small tortoiseshell

Megachile rotundata compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

alfalfa leaf-cutter bee is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	alfalfa leaf-cutter bee	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Megachilidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Megachile	Aglais
Species	Megachile rotundata	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

alfalfa leaf-cutter bee and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

View Class: Insecta

Conservation Status

alfalfa leaf-cutter bee

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	alfalfa leaf-cutter bee	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

alfalfa leaf-cutter bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Chile).

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.

alfalfa leaf-cutter bee

The Alfalfa leaf-cutter bee (Megachile rotundata) is a species in the genus Megachile. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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.