Sharp-fruited Whitlow-grass vs small tortoiseshell

Draba oxycarpa compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Sharp-fruited Whitlow-grass is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Sharp-fruited Whitlow-grass	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Brassicales (Brassicales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Brassicaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Draba	Aglais
Species	Draba oxycarpa	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Sharp-fruited Whitlow-grass

EN — Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Sharp-fruited Whitlow-grass	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Sharp-fruited Whitlow-grass

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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.