Bark louse vs small tortoiseshell

Elipsocus pumilis compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Bark louse is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bark louse	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Psocodea (Psocodea)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Elipsocidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Elipsocus	Aglais
Species	Elipsocus pumilis	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Bark louse and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Bark louse

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bark louse	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bark louse

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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.

Bark louse

The Bark louse (Elipsocus pumilis) is a species in the genus Elipsocus. 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:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden