Silky Forklet Moss vs small tortoiseshell

Dicranella heteromalla compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Silky Forklet Moss is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Silky Forklet Moss	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Dicranales (Dicranales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Dicranellaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Dicranella	Aglais
Species	Dicranella heteromalla	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Silky Forklet Moss

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Silky Forklet Moss	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Silky Forklet Moss

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden