Minute pirate bug vs small tortoiseshell

Anthocoris nemorum compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Minute pirate bug is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Minute pirate bug	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Anthocoridae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Anthocoris	Aglais
Species	Anthocoris nemorum	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Minute pirate bug and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Minute pirate bug

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Minute pirate bug	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Minute pirate bug

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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