Separated sedge vs small tortoiseshell

Carex divisa compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Separated sedge is Critically Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Separated sedge	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Cyperaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Carex	Aglais
Species	Carex divisa	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Separated sedge

CR — Critically Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Separated sedge	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Separated sedge

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Australia, Belgium, Portugal, South Africa, and United States. Currently classified as Critically 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 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇵🇹 Portugal