Hooked Smudge vs small tortoiseshell

Ypsolopha nemorella compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Hooked Smudge is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hooked Smudge	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	Ypsolophidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Ypsolopha	Aglais
Species	Ypsolopha nemorella	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Hooked Smudge and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

Hooked Smudge

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Hooked Smudge

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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.

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