Cross Orbweaver vs small tortoiseshell

Araneus diadematus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Cross Orbweaver is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cross Orbweaver	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Arachnida (Arachnids)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Araneae (Araneae)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Araneidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Araneus	Aglais
Species	Araneus diadematus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Cross Orbweaver and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Arthropoda. (Arthropods)

Conservation Status

Cross Orbweaver

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cross Orbweaver

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, 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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden