bed bug vs small tortoiseshell

Cimex lectularius compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• bed bug is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	bed bug	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Cimicidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Cimex	Aglais
Species	Cimex lectularius	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

bed bug

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	bed bug	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

bed bug

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan, Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), and North America (Canada, 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.

bed bug

The Bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is a species in the genus Cimex. 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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden