Flat grain beetle vs small tortoiseshell

Cryptolestes pusillus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Flat grain beetle is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Flat grain beetle	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	Laemophloeidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Cryptolestes	Aglais
Species	Cryptolestes pusillus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Flat grain beetle and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Flat grain beetle

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Flat grain beetle	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Flat grain beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan), Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Venezuela).

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 19 countries:

🇦🇱 Albania 🇦🇹 Austria 🇧🇾 Belarus 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇮🇹 Italy 🇲🇹 Malta 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom