Lesser Emperor vs small tortoiseshell

Anax parthenope compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Lesser Emperor is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Lesser Emperor	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Aeshnidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Anax	Aglais
Species	Anax parthenope	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Lesser Emperor and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Lesser Emperor

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Lesser Emperor

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden