Arctic Blue vs May Shade

Agriades aquilo compared with Cnephasia communana

Key Differences

• Arctic Blue is Near Threatened while May Shade is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic Blue	May Shade
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Lycaenidae	Tortricidae
Genus	Agriades	Cnephasia
Species	Agriades aquilo	Cnephasia communana

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic Blue and May Shade share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

Arctic Blue

NT — Near Threatened

May Shade

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic Blue	May Shade
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic Blue

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Finland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

May Shade

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Arctic Blue

The Arctic Blue (Agriades aquilo) is a species in the genus Agriades. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden