Cardinal Meadowhawk vs small tortoiseshell

Sympetrum illotum compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Cardinal Meadowhawk is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Meadowhawk	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Libellulidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Sympetrum	Aglais
Species	Sympetrum illotum	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Cardinal Meadowhawk

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Meadowhawk	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in Colombia.

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.

Cardinal Meadowhawk

The Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) is a species in the genus Sympetrum. It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) 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.