Barley Flea Beetle vs small tortoiseshell

Phyllotreta vittula compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Barley Flea Beetle is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Barley Flea Beetle	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Chrysomelidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Phyllotreta	Aglais
Species	Phyllotreta vittula	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Barley Flea Beetle and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Barley Flea Beetle

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Barley Flea Beetle	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Barley Flea Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Barley Flea Beetle

The Barley Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta vittula) is a species in the genus Phyllotreta. It is currently classified as Least Concern 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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden