Rhododendron-spruce needle rust vs small tortoiseshell

Chrysomyxa rhododendri compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Rhododendron-spruce needle rust is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Rhododendron-spruce needle rust	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniomycetes)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Pucciniales (Pucciniales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Coleosporiaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Chrysomyxa	Aglais
Species	Chrysomyxa rhododendri	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Rhododendron-spruce needle rust

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Rhododendron-spruce needle rust	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Rhododendron-spruce needle rust

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (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 7 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom