Prickly Pole vs small tortoiseshell

Bactris jamaicana compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

Prickly Pole is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Prickly Pole	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Arecales (Arecales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Arecaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Bactris	Aglais
Species	Bactris jamaicana	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Prickly Pole

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Prickly Pole	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Prickly Pole

Habitat

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

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.