Black flying fox vs small tortoiseshell

Pteropus alecto compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Black flying fox is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black flying fox	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)	Aglais
Species	Pteropus alecto	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Black flying fox and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Black flying fox

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black flying fox	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black flying fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.

Black flying fox

The Black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) is a species in the genus Pteropus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic 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.