Foxtail flatsedge vs small tortoiseshell

Cyperus alopecuroides compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Foxtail flatsedge is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Foxtail flatsedge	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Cyperaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Cyperus	Aglais
Species	Cyperus alopecuroides	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Foxtail flatsedge

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Foxtail flatsedge	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Foxtail flatsedge

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands and flooded grasslands and savannas within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Egypt, Greece, Japan, and 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:

🇬🇷 Greece