Emerald Ash Borer vs small tortoiseshell

Agrilus planipennis compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Emerald Ash Borer is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Emerald Ash Borer	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Buprestidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Agrilus	Aglais
Species	Agrilus planipennis	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Emerald Ash Borer and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Emerald Ash Borer

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Emerald Ash Borer	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Emerald Ash Borer

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (4 countries) and North America (Canada, 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

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 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden