Broom Fork-Moss vs small tortoiseshell

Dicranum scoparium compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Broom Fork-Moss is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broom Fork-Moss	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Dicranales (Dicranales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Dicranaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Dicranum	Aglais
Species	Dicranum scoparium	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Broom Fork-Moss

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broom Fork-Moss	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broom Fork-Moss

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 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.

Broom Fork-Moss

The Broom Fork-Moss (Dicranum scoparium) is a species in the genus Dicranum. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden