Goblet Waxcap vs small tortoiseshell

Hygrocybe cantharellus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Goblet Waxcap is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Goblet Waxcap	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Hygrophoraceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Hygrocybe	Aglais
Species	Hygrocybe cantharellus	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Goblet Waxcap

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Goblet Waxcap	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Goblet Waxcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 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 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden