Gorse tip moth vs small tortoiseshell

Agonopterix nervosa compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Gorse tip moth is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Gorse tip moth	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Depressariidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Agonopterix	Aglais
Species	Agonopterix nervosa	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Gorse tip moth and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

Gorse tip moth

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Gorse tip moth	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Gorse tip moth

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, 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 4 countries:

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