small tortoiseshell vs true fox-sedge

Aglais urticae compared with Carex vulpina

Key Differences

  • small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened while true fox-sedge is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank small tortoiseshell true fox-sedge
Kingdom Animalia (Animals) Plantae (Plants)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class Insecta (Insects) Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths) Poales (Grasses)
Family Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies) Cyperaceae
Genus Aglais Carex
Species Aglais urticae Carex vulpina

Conservation Status

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

true fox-sedge

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute small tortoiseshell true fox-sedge
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.

true fox-sedge

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as 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.

true fox-sedge

No description available.

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