Chalk Screw-moss vs small tortoiseshell

Tortula vahliana compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Chalk Screw-moss is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chalk Screw-moss	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Pottiales (Pottiales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Pottiaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Tortula	Aglais
Species	Tortula vahliana	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Chalk Screw-moss

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chalk Screw-moss	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chalk Screw-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, and Portugal. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Chalk Screw-moss

The Chalk Screw-moss (Tortula vahliana) is a species in the genus Tortula. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, 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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal