Reticulated barnacle vs small tortoiseshell

Amphibalanus reticulatus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Reticulated barnacle is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Reticulated barnacle	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Maxillopoda (Maxillopoda)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Sessilia (Sessilia)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Balanidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Amphibalanus	Aglais
Species	Amphibalanus reticulatus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Reticulated barnacle and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Arthropoda. (Arthropods)

Conservation Status

Reticulated barnacle

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Reticulated barnacle	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Reticulated barnacle

Habitat

Native to Africa and Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone), Asia (Israel, Taiwan), Europe (Belgium, France, Sweden), North America (4 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, Samoa), and South America (Brazil).

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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇸🇪 Sweden