arrow worm vs small tortoiseshell

Parasagitta elegans compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• arrow worm is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	arrow worm	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chaetognatha (arrow worms)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Sagittoidea (Sagittoidea)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Aphragmophora (Aphragmophora)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Sagittidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Parasagitta	Aglais
Species	Parasagitta elegans	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

arrow worm and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

arrow worm

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	arrow worm	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

arrow worm

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark and Norway.

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.

arrow worm

The Arrow worm, Parasagitta elegans, is a species. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway