Common Goldspeck vs small tortoiseshell

Candelariella vitellina compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

Common Goldspeck is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Goldspeck	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Candelariomycetes (Candelariomycetes)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Candelariales (Candelariales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Candelariaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Candelariella	Aglais
Species	Candelariella vitellina	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Common Goldspeck

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Goldspeck

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (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.

Common Goldspeck

<em>Candelariella vitellina</em>, commonly known as common goldspeck, is a crustose lichen belonging to the genus Candelariella within the family Candelariaceae. This species inhabits ecosystems across Europe and North America and South America, reflecting a broad geographic tolerance suited to its saxicolous lifestyle. Its known range includes populations in four European countries, the United States in North America, and Colombia in South America. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that current population trends do not suggest elevated extinction risk. Common goldspeck typically colonizes exposed rock surfaces, bark, and other firm substrates in open environments where light availability supports its photosynthetic activity. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

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.