Greenleaf ticktrefoil vs small tortoiseshell

Desmodium intortum compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Greenleaf ticktrefoil is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Greenleaf ticktrefoil	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Fabaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Desmodium	Aglais
Species	Desmodium intortum	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Greenleaf ticktrefoil

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Greenleaf ticktrefoil	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Greenleaf ticktrefoil

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas spanning the Australasia and Afrotropic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (5 countries), Asia (Japan, Taiwan), North America (4 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, Papua New Guinea), and South America (Colombia).

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.