Roman Mole vs small tortoiseshell

Talpa romana compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Roman Mole is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Roman Mole	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Talpidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Talpa	Aglais
Species	Talpa romana	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Roman Mole and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Roman Mole

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Roman Mole	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Roman Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.