Bird flea vs small tortoiseshell

Ceratophyllus zhovtyi compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Bird flea is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bird flea	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Siphonaptera (Siphonaptera)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Ceratophyllidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Ceratophyllus	Aglais
Species	Ceratophyllus zhovtyi	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Bird flea

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bird flea	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bird flea

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in 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.

Bird flea

The Bird flea (Ceratophyllus zhovtyi) is a species in the genus Ceratophyllus. 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.