Grey worm vs small tortoiseshell

Aporrectodea caliginosa compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Grey worm is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Grey worm	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Annelida (Segmented Worms)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Clitellata (Clitellata)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Crassiclitellata (Crassiclitellata)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Lumbricidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Aporrectodea	Aglais
Species	Aporrectodea caliginosa	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Grey worm and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Grey worm

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Grey worm	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Grey worm

Habitat

Native to Africa and Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), 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