Little Snipefly vs small tortoiseshell

Chrysopilus asiliformis compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Little Snipefly is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Little Snipefly	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	Rhagionidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Chrysopilus	Aglais
Species	Chrysopilus asiliformis	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Little Snipefly

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Little Snipefly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, 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 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden