Onionweed vs small tortoiseshell

Asphodelus fistulosus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Onionweed is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Onionweed	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Asparagales (Asparagales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Asphodelaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Asphodelus	Aglais
Species	Asphodelus fistulosus	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Onionweed

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Onionweed	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Onionweed

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (9 countries), North America (Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Chile).

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 9 countries:

🇦🇹 Austria 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom