Fall Armyworm vs small tortoiseshell

Spodoptera frugiperda compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Fall Armyworm is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fall Armyworm	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Noctuidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Spodoptera	Aglais
Species	Spodoptera frugiperda	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Fall Armyworm and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

Fall Armyworm

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fall Armyworm	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Fall Armyworm

Habitat

Inhabits flooded grasslands and savannas within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (Taiwan, Timor-Leste), Europe (Denmark), 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 1 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark