small tortoiseshell vs triangular-leaved thread moss

Aglais urticae compared with Meesia hexasticha

Key Differences

• small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened while triangular-leaved thread moss is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	small tortoiseshell	triangular-leaved thread moss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Bryophyta
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Splachnales (Splachnales)
Family	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Meesiaceae
Genus	Aglais	Meesia
Species	Aglais urticae	Meesia hexasticha

Conservation Status

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

triangular-leaved thread moss

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	small tortoiseshell	triangular-leaved thread 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.

triangular-leaved thread moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable 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 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden