Elder-flowered Orchid vs small tortoiseshell

Dactylorhiza sambucina compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Elder-flowered Orchid is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Elder-flowered Orchid	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	Orchidaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Dactylorhiza	Aglais
Species	Dactylorhiza sambucina	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Elder-flowered Orchid

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Elder-flowered Orchid	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Elder-flowered Orchid

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. 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 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden