Bog Hoverfly vs small tortoiseshell

Eristalis cryptarum compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Bog Hoverfly is Extinct while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bog Hoverfly	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Syrphidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Eristalis	Aglais
Species	Eristalis cryptarum	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Bog Hoverfly

EX — Extinct

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bog Hoverfly	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bog Hoverfly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, 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.

Bog Hoverfly

The Bog Hoverfly (Eristalis cryptarum) is a species in the genus Eristalis. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Distributed across Belgium, 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 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden