scarlet malachite beetle vs small tortoiseshell

Malachius aeneus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• scarlet malachite beetle is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	scarlet malachite beetle	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Melyridae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Malachius	Aglais
Species	Malachius aeneus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

scarlet malachite beetle and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

scarlet malachite beetle

EN — Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	scarlet malachite beetle	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

scarlet malachite beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (4 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). 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 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland