vs small tortoiseshell

Comatricha nigra compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Protozoa (protozoa)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mycetozoa	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Myxomycetes (Myxomycetes)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Stemonitidales	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Stemonitidaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Comatricha	Aglais
Species	Comatricha nigra	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (Belgium, Norway, Sweden), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

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.

<em>Comatricha nigra</em> is among the more widely distributed species in the genus <em>Comatricha</em>, with documented records from Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. It belongs to the class Myxomycetes, order Stemonitidales, and is recognized by its dark, stalked sporangia with a distinctive capillitium. The species grows on decaying wood, bark, and moist plant debris in forest habitats across its broad geographic range. As with all plasmodial slime molds, <em>C. nigra</em> undergoes a life cycle that includes a motile plasmodial feeding stage and a reproductive sporangial stage. The feeding plasmodium consumes bacteria, fungal spores, and organic particles, playing a role in nutrient cycling and decomposition. The global distribution of <em>C. nigra</em> reflects the capacity of slime mold spores to disperse over long distances via wind currents. No quantitative biological metrics are recorded, and the species has not been assessed by the IUCN.

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 🇸🇪 Sweden