elliptic trough shell vs small tortoiseshell

Spisula elliptica compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• elliptic trough shell is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	elliptic trough shell	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Venerida (Venerida)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Mactridae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Spisula	Aglais
Species	Spisula elliptica	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

elliptic trough shell and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

elliptic trough shell

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	elliptic trough shell	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

elliptic trough shell

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden