Norfolk Bladder-moss vs small tortoiseshell

Physcomitrium eurystomum compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Norfolk Bladder-moss is Critically Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Norfolk Bladder-moss	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Funariales (Funariales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Funariaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Physcomitrium	Aglais
Species	Physcomitrium eurystomum	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Norfolk Bladder-moss

CR — Critically Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Norfolk Bladder-moss	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Norfolk Bladder-moss

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan. Currently classified as Critically Endangered 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