Bitter-Root vs small tortoiseshell

Apocynum androsaemifolium compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Bitter-Root is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter-Root	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Gentianales (Gentianales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Apocynaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Apocynum	Aglais
Species	Apocynum androsaemifolium	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Bitter-Root

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter-Root	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter-Root

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and 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.

Bitter-Root

The Bitter-Root (Apocynum androsaemifolium) is a species in the genus Apocynum. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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