Slender Waxcap vs small tortoiseshell

Hygrocybe radiata compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Slender Waxcap is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Slender Waxcap	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Hygrophoraceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Hygrocybe	Aglais
Species	Hygrocybe radiata	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Slender Waxcap

EN — Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Slender Waxcap	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Slender Waxcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, and Norway. 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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway