Cotoneaster Webworm vs small tortoiseshell

Athrips rancidella compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Cotoneaster Webworm is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cotoneaster Webworm	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Gelechiidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Athrips	Aglais
Species	Athrips rancidella	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Cotoneaster Webworm and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

Cotoneaster Webworm

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cotoneaster Webworm

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and 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.

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 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇬🇧 United Kingdom