Parnassus Dandelion vs small tortoiseshell

Taraxacum parnassicum compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

Parnassus Dandelion is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Parnassus Dandelion	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Taraxacum	Aglais
Species	Taraxacum parnassicum	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Parnassus Dandelion

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Parnassus Dandelion	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Parnassus Dandelion

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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 (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.