Marsh Valerian vs small tortoiseshell

Valeriana dioica compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Marsh Valerian is Extinct while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Marsh Valerian	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Dipsacales (Dipsacales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Caprifoliaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Valeriana	Aglais
Species	Valeriana dioica	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Marsh Valerian

EX — Extinct

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Marsh Valerian	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Marsh Valerian

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

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 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden