marsh gentian vs small tortoiseshell

Gentiana pneumonanthe compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• marsh gentian is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	marsh gentian	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Gentianales (Gentianales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Gentianaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Gentiana	Aglais
Species	Gentiana pneumonanthe	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

marsh gentian

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	marsh gentian	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

marsh gentian

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). 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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden