Atlantic Stream Crayfish vs small tortoiseshell

Austropotamobius pallipes compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Atlantic Stream Crayfish is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Atlantic Stream Crayfish	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Malacostraca (Crustaceans)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Decapoda (Decapoda)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Astacidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Austropotamobius	Aglais
Species	Austropotamobius pallipes	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Atlantic Stream Crayfish and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Arthropoda. (Arthropods)

Conservation Status

Atlantic Stream Crayfish

EN — Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Atlantic Stream Crayfish	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Atlantic Stream Crayfish

Habitat

Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and temperate coniferous forests within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Ireland and United Kingdom. Currently classified as Endangered 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.

Atlantic Stream Crayfish

The Atlantic Stream Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) is a species in the genus Austropotamobius. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and temperate coniferous forests within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

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:

🇮🇪 Ireland 🇬🇧 United Kingdom