Red Cage vs small tortoiseshell

Clathrus ruber compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Red Cage is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Red Cage	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Phallales (Phallales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Phallaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Clathrus	Aglais
Species	Clathrus ruber	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Red Cage

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Red Cage	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Red Cage

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable 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 9 countries:

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