flat-leaved peat moss vs small tortoiseshell

Sphagnum platyphyllum compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• flat-leaved peat moss is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	flat-leaved peat moss	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Sphagnopsida (Sphagnopsida)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Sphagnales (Sphagnales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Sphagnaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Sphagnum	Aglais
Species	Sphagnum platyphyllum	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

flat-leaved peat moss

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	flat-leaved peat moss	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

flat-leaved peat moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden