Fern scale vs small tortoiseshell

Pinnaspis aspidistrae compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Fern scale is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fern scale	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Diaspididae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Pinnaspis	Aglais
Species	Pinnaspis aspidistrae	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Fern scale

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fern scale	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Fern scale

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (21 countries) and North America (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 21 countries:

🇦🇱 Albania 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇲🇹 Malta 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇴 Romania 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine 🇬🇧 United Kingdom