small tortoiseshell vs Sweetflag Spreadwing

Aglais urticae compared with Lestes forcipatus

Key Differences

• small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened while Sweetflag Spreadwing is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	small tortoiseshell	Sweetflag Spreadwing
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Lestidae
Genus	Aglais	Lestes
Species	Aglais urticae	Lestes forcipatus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Sweetflag Spreadwing

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	small tortoiseshell	Sweetflag Spreadwing
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.

Sweetflag Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in 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.