vs small tortoiseshell

Helvella corium compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Pezizales (Pezizales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Helvellaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Helvella	Aglais
Species	Helvella corium	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Helvella corium is a saddle fungus in the family Helvellaceae, producing irregularly lobed, dark brownish-gray to black apothecia with convoluted, saddle-like caps. It fruits in autumn on soil in broadleaved and mixed woodland, often partially buried in humus or litter. Assessed as Least Concern, this distinctive species is distributed across temperate Europe and North America.

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