Arctic marsh sedge vs small tortoiseshell

Carex holostoma compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Arctic marsh sedge is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic marsh sedge	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Cyperaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Carex	Aglais
Species	Carex holostoma	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Arctic marsh sedge

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic marsh sedge	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic marsh sedge

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. 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 marsh sedge

The Arctic marsh sedge (Carex holostoma) is a species in the genus Carex. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

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 3 countries:

🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden