Arctic Blue vs small skipper

Agriades aquilo compared with Thymelicus sylvestris

Key Differences

• Arctic Blue is Near Threatened while small skipper is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic Blue	small skipper
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	Hesperiidae
Genus	Agriades	Thymelicus
Species	Agriades aquilo	Thymelicus sylvestris

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Arctic Blue

NT — Near Threatened

small skipper

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic Blue	small skipper
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.

small skipper

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found across Europe (37 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable 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.

small skipper

small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden