Early Buttercup vs small tortoiseshell

Ranunculus fascicularis compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

Early Buttercup is Extinct while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Early Buttercup	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Ranunculales (Ranunculales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Ranunculaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Ranunculus	Aglais
Species	Ranunculus fascicularis	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Early Buttercup

EX — Extinct

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Early Buttercup	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Early Buttercup

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada 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 (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.