rough bindweed vs small tortoiseshell

Smilax aspera compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• rough bindweed is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	rough bindweed	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Liliales (Liliales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Smilacaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Smilax	Aglais
Species	Smilax aspera	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

rough bindweed

EN — Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	rough bindweed	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

rough bindweed

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Colombia, Hungary, and Portugal. Currently classified as Endangered 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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇵🇹 Portugal