Crested Fireback vs small tortoiseshell

Lophura ignita compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Crested Fireback is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Crested Fireback	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Galliformes (Galliformes)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Phasianidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Lophura	Aglais
Species	Lophura ignita	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Crested Fireback and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Crested Fireback

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Crested Fireback

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

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

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 5 countries:

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