Arctic Grayling vs small tortoiseshell

Oeneis bore compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Arctic Grayling is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic Grayling	small tortoiseshell
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 same	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Oeneis	Aglais
Species	Oeneis bore	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic Grayling and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Family level: Nymphalidae. (Brush-footed Butterflies)

Conservation Status

Arctic Grayling

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic Grayling	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic Grayling

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Arctic Grayling

The Arctic Grayling (Oeneis bore) is a species in the genus Oeneis. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. 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 4 countries:

🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden