Dils’ Grayling vs small tortoiseshell

Pseudochazara orestes compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Dils’ Grayling is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dils’ Grayling	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family same	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Pseudochazara	Aglais
Species	Pseudochazara orestes	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Dils’ Grayling and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Family level: Nymphalidae. (Brush-footed Butterflies)

Conservation Status

Dils’ Grayling

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dils’ Grayling	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dils’ Grayling

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Bulgaria and Greece. 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 2 countries:

🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇬🇷 Greece