saffron vs small tortoiseshell

Crocus sativus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• saffron is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	saffron	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Asparagales (Asparagales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Iridaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Crocus	Aglais
Species	Crocus sativus	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

saffron

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	saffron	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

saffron

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Asia (India, Taiwan, Turkey) and Europe (9 countries).

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 9 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇫🇷 France 🇲🇹 Malta 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇪🇸 Spain 🇬🇧 United Kingdom