Elm leafminer vs small tortoiseshell

Fenusa ulmi compared with Aglais urticae

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Elm leafminer	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Tenthredinidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Fenusa	Aglais
Species	Fenusa ulmi	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Elm leafminer and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Elm leafminer

NT — Near Threatened

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Elm leafminer	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Elm leafminer

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden