Beet tortoise beetle vs small tortoiseshell

Cassida nebulosa compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Beet tortoise beetle is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Beet tortoise 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	Cassida	Aglais
Species	Cassida nebulosa	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Beet tortoise beetle and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Beet tortoise beetle

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Beet tortoise beetle	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Beet tortoise beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable 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.

Beet tortoise beetle

The Beet tortoise beetle (Cassida nebulosa) is a species in the genus Cassida. It is currently classified as Vulnerable 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 4 countries:

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