small tortoiseshell vs Thyme Plume

Aglais urticae compared with Merrifieldia leucodactyla

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	small tortoiseshell	Thyme Plume
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	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Pterophoridae
Genus	Aglais	Merrifieldia
Species	Aglais urticae	Merrifieldia leucodactyla

Evolutionary Relationship

small tortoiseshell and Thyme Plume share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

View Order: Lepidoptera

Conservation Status

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Thyme Plume

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	small tortoiseshell	Thyme Plume
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.

Thyme Plume

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Algeria, Morocco), Asia (7 countries), and Europe (35 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.