crested arrowhead vs small tortoiseshell

Sagittaria cristata compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

crested arrowhead is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	crested arrowhead	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Alismatales (Alismatales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Alismataceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Sagittaria	Aglais
Species	Sagittaria cristata	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

crested arrowhead

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

crested arrowhead

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Found in Canada.

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 (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.