Darkling beetle vs small tortoiseshell

Blaps lethifera compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Darkling beetle is Extinct while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Darkling beetle	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Tenebrionidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Blaps	Aglais
Species	Blaps lethifera	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Darkling beetle and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Darkling beetle

EX — Extinct

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Darkling beetle	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Darkling beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (10 countries) and North America (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 10 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇬🇧 United Kingdom