Flea vs small tortoiseshell

Ctenocephalides canis compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Flea is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Flea	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Siphonaptera (Siphonaptera)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Pulicidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Ctenocephalides	Aglais
Species	Ctenocephalides canis	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Flea

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Flea	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Flea

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden