Kirby's Mason Bee vs small tortoiseshell

Hoplitis leucomelana compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Kirby's Mason Bee is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Kirby's Mason Bee	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Megachilidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Hoplitis	Aglais
Species	Hoplitis leucomelana	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Kirby's Mason Bee and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Kirby's Mason Bee

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Kirby's Mason Bee	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Kirby's Mason Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden