Red-Head Pondweed vs small tortoiseshell

Potamogeton richardsonii compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Red-Head Pondweed is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Red-Head Pondweed	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Alismatales (Alismatales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Potamogetonaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Potamogeton	Aglais
Species	Potamogeton richardsonii	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Red-Head Pondweed

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Red-Head Pondweed	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Red-Head Pondweed

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Canada, Norway, and United States.

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 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway