Common Moonwort vs small tortoiseshell

Botrychium lunaria compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

Common Moonwort is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Moonwort	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Arthropoda (節足動物)
Class	Polypodiopsida (ウラボシ綱)	Insecta (昆虫)
Order	Ophioglossales (ハナヤスリ目)	Lepidoptera (チョウ目)
Family	Ophioglossaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Botrychium	Aglais
Species	Botrychium lunaria	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Common Moonwort

EN — Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Moonwort	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Moonwort

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (United States). 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.

Common Moonwort

Common Moonwort (<em>Botrychium lunaria</em>) is a small fern in the genus <em>Botrychium</em>, family Ophioglossaceae. It is distributed across Asia, Europe, and North America, with confirmed presence in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, as well as Taiwan and the United States. The species is typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies. Common Moonwort is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it faces significant conservation challenges across its range. Its distinctive frond is divided into two parts: a sterile fan-shaped leaf portion with rounded lobes resembling a crescent moon, and a fertile spike bearing spore-bearing structures. As a fern ally rather than a flowering plant, it reproduces via spores rather than seeds. The species is associated with stable, undisturbed habitats including ancient grasslands, upland heaths, and rocky slopes. Its sensitivity to habitat disturbance and changes in land management are thought to contribute to population declines. Specific biological measurements such as lifespan and dimensions are not documented in available records.