small tortoiseshell vs Variable Crisp-moss

Aglais urticae compared with Trichostomum brachydontium

Key Differences

• small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened while Variable Crisp-moss is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	small tortoiseshell	Variable Crisp-moss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Bryophyta
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Pottiales (Pottiales)
Family	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Pottiaceae
Genus	Aglais	Trichostomum
Species	Aglais urticae	Trichostomum brachydontium

Conservation Status

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Variable Crisp-moss

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	small tortoiseshell	Variable Crisp-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.

Variable Crisp-moss

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden