red underwing vs small tortoiseshell

Catocala nupta compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• red underwing is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	red underwing	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (प्राणी)	Animalia (प्राणी)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (सन्धिपाद)	Arthropoda (सन्धिपाद)
Class same	Insecta (कीट)	Insecta (कीट)
Order same	Lepidoptera (शल्कपंखी गण)	Lepidoptera (शल्कपंखी गण)
Family	Erebidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Catocala	Aglais
Species	Catocala nupta	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

red underwing and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (शल्कपंखी गण)

Conservation Status

red underwing

EN — Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	red underwing	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

red underwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its 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.

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 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden