Braconid wasp vs small tortoiseshell

Cotesia vestalis compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Braconid wasp is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Braconid wasp	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Braconidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Cotesia	Aglais
Species	Cotesia vestalis	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Braconid wasp

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Braconid wasp	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Braconid wasp

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (4 countries), and North America (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.

Braconid wasp

The Braconid wasp (Cotesia vestalis) is a species in the genus Cotesia. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats. It is found in Denmark, Norway, Portugal, South Africa 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:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden