Early crocus vs small tortoiseshell

Crocus imperati compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

Early crocus is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Early crocus	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Asparagales (Asparagales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Iridaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Crocus	Aglais
Species	Crocus imperati	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Early crocus

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Early crocus

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Japan 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.