Dung Cannon vs small tortoiseshell

Pilobolus crystallinus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Dung Cannon is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dung Cannon	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mucoromycota (Mucoromycota)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mucoromycetes (Mucoromycetes)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Mucorales (Mucorales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Pilobolaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Pilobolus	Aglais
Species	Pilobolus crystallinus	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Dung Cannon

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dung Cannon	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dung Cannon

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Brazil).

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 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden