Common Pipistrelle vs small tortoiseshell

Pipistrellus pipistrellus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Common Pipistrelle is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Pipistrelle	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (動物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索動物)	Arthropoda (節足動物)
Class	Mammalia (哺乳類)	Insecta (昆虫)
Order	Chiroptera (翼手目)	Lepidoptera (チョウ目)
Family	Vespertilionidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Pipistrellus	Aglais
Species	Pipistrellus pipistrellus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Pipistrelle and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (動物)

Conservation Status

Common Pipistrelle

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Pipistrelle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable 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 Pipistrelle

<em>Pipistrellus pipistrellus</em>, the common pipistrelle, is a small bat in the family Vespertilionidae and one of the most abundant and widespread bat species in Europe. It is typically one of the first bats to emerge at dusk, flying with rapid, jerky wingbeats as it pursues small flying insects over gardens, woodland edges, water bodies, and urban areas. The species roosts in crevices in buildings, bat boxes, and tree holes, often forming large maternity colonies in summer. <em>Pipistrellus pipistrellus</em> echolocates at a characteristic frequency of around 45 kHz, which allows it to be identified using bat detectors. It is distributed across Europe, with confirmed records from Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Portugal, among many other countries. The species is assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population declines driven by loss of foraging habitat, reduction in insect prey biomass, disturbance of roost sites, and pesticide use. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body size, weight, and detailed dietary composition across its range remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, though the species is known to consume large numbers of small moths, midges, and other aerial insects each night.

small tortoiseshell

スモールトータスシェル(Aglais urticae)はIUCNレッドリストで準絶滅危惧(NT)に分類されている。絶滅危惧種に分類される一歩手前の段階で、保全措置がなければ脆弱になる可能性のある個体群を持つ。

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 7 countries:

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