American dodder vs small tortoiseshell

Cuscuta americana compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• American dodder is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	American dodder	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Solanales (Solanales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Cuscuta	Aglais
Species	Cuscuta americana	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

American dodder

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	American dodder	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

American dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Brazil and Colombia.

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.

American dodder

The American dodder (Cuscuta americana) is a species in the genus Cuscuta. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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.