Samos Grayling vs small tortoiseshell

Hipparchia mersina compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Samos Grayling is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Samos Grayling	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family same	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Hipparchia	Aglais
Species	Hipparchia mersina	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Samos Grayling and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Family level: Nymphalidae. (Brush-footed Butterflies)

Conservation Status

Samos Grayling

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Samos Grayling	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Samos Grayling

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in Greece.

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 1 countries:

🇬🇷 Greece