small tortoiseshell vs Sneaky Elf

Aglais urticae compared with Pyropyga decipiens

Key Differences

• small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened while Sneaky Elf is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	small tortoiseshell	Sneaky Elf
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Lampyridae
Genus	Aglais	Pyropyga
Species	Aglais urticae	Pyropyga decipiens

Evolutionary Relationship

small tortoiseshell and Sneaky Elf share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Sneaky Elf

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	small tortoiseshell	Sneaky Elf
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Sneaky Elf

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

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.