small heath vs small tortoiseshell

Coenonympha pamphilus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

small heath is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	small heath	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family same	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Coenonympha	Aglais
Species	Coenonympha pamphilus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

small heath and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Family level: Nymphalidae. (Brush-footed Butterflies)

View Family: Nymphalidae

Conservation Status

small heath

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	small heath	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

small heath

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (40 countries).

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 heath

small heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

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.