round silk moss vs small tortoiseshell

Plagiothecium cavifolium compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• round silk moss is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	round silk moss	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hypnales (Hypnales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Plagiotheciaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Plagiothecium	Aglais
Species	Plagiothecium cavifolium	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

round silk moss

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	round silk moss	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

round silk moss

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable 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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden