Dark-rumped Swift vs small tortoiseshell

Apus acuticauda compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Dark-rumped Swift is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dark-rumped Swift	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Apodidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Apus	Aglais
Species	Apus acuticauda	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Dark-rumped Swift and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Dark-rumped Swift

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dark-rumped Swift	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dark-rumped Swift

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Norway. 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 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway