Large Bear Hoverfly vs small tortoiseshell

Criorhina ranunculi compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Large Bear Hoverfly is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Large Bear Hoverfly	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Syrphidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Criorhina	Aglais
Species	Criorhina ranunculi	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Large Bear Hoverfly and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Large Bear Hoverfly

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Large Bear Hoverfly	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Large Bear Hoverfly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, 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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden