Birch Jelly vs small tortoiseshell

Exidia repanda compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Birch Jelly is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Birch Jelly	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Auriculariales (Auriculariales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Auriculariaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Exidia	Aglais
Species	Exidia repanda	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Birch Jelly

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Birch Jelly	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Birch Jelly

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across 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.

Birch Jelly

The Birch Jelly (Exidia repanda) is a species in the genus Exidia. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

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