Blackthorn Dotty vs small tortoiseshell

Polystigma rubrum compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Blackthorn Dotty is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackthorn Dotty	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Phyllachorales (Phyllachorales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Phyllachoraceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Polystigma	Aglais
Species	Polystigma rubrum	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Blackthorn Dotty

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blackthorn Dotty	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blackthorn Dotty

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Blackthorn Dotty

The Blackthorn Dotty (Polystigma rubrum) is a species in the genus Polystigma. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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