small tortoiseshell vs Spreading-leaved Beardless-moss

Aglais urticae compared with Weissia squarrosa

Key Differences

• small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened while Spreading-leaved Beardless-moss is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	small tortoiseshell	Spreading-leaved Beardless-moss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Bryophyta
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Pottiales (Pottiales)
Family	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Pottiaceae
Genus	Aglais	Weissia
Species	Aglais urticae	Weissia squarrosa

Conservation Status

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Spreading-leaved Beardless-moss

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	small tortoiseshell	Spreading-leaved Beardless-moss
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.

Spreading-leaved Beardless-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden