small tortoiseshell vs Surprise Thorius

Aglais urticae compared with Thorius insperatus

Key Differences

• small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened while Surprise Thorius is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	small tortoiseshell	Surprise Thorius
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Amphibia (Amphibians)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Caudata (Caudata)
Family	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Plethodontidae
Genus	Aglais	Thorius
Species	Aglais urticae	Thorius insperatus

Evolutionary Relationship

small tortoiseshell and Surprise Thorius share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Surprise Thorius

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	small tortoiseshell	Surprise Thorius
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.

Surprise Thorius

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in Mexico. 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.