black slug vs small tortoiseshell

Milax nigricans compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• black slug is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	black slug	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Stylommatophora (Stylommatophora)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Milacidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Milax	Aglais
Species	Milax nigricans	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

black slug and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

black slug

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	black slug	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

black slug

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Found across Europe (8 countries).

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 slug

The Black slug (Milax nigricans) is a species in the genus Milax. Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

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 8 countries:

🇦🇹 Austria 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇮🇹 Italy 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇪🇸 Spain 🇬🇧 United Kingdom