Alien field ant vs small tortoiseshell

Lasius alienus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Alien field ant is Data Deficient while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alien field ant	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	Formicidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Lasius	Aglais
Species	Lasius alienus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Alien field ant and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Alien field ant

DD — Data Deficient

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alien field ant	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alien field ant

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (United States).

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.

Alien field ant

The Alien field ant (Lasius alienus) is a species in the genus Lasius. Its conservation status is listed as Data Deficient, indicating insufficient data for assessment. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden