broad-bordered yellow underwing vs small tortoiseshell

Noctua fimbriata compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• broad-bordered yellow underwing is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	broad-bordered yellow underwing	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Noctuidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Noctua	Aglais
Species	Noctua fimbriata	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

broad-bordered yellow underwing and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

broad-bordered yellow underwing

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	broad-bordered yellow underwing	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

broad-bordered yellow underwing

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.

broad-bordered yellow underwing

The Broad-bordered yellow underwing (Noctua fimbriata) is a species in the genus Noctua. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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