Common Yellow Conch vs small tortoiseshell

Agapeta hamana compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Common Yellow Conch is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Yellow Conch	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (動物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (節足動物)	Arthropoda (節足動物)
Class same	Insecta (昆虫)	Insecta (昆虫)
Order same	Lepidoptera (チョウ目)	Lepidoptera (チョウ目)
Family	Tortricidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Agapeta	Aglais
Species	Agapeta hamana	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Yellow Conch and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (チョウ目)

Conservation Status

Common Yellow Conch

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Yellow Conch	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Yellow Conch

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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 Yellow Conch

<em>Agapeta hamana</em>, the common yellow conch moth, is a small moth in the family Tortricidae. It is widely distributed across Europe and central Asia, ranging from Britain and Scandinavia eastward through much of the Palearctic region. The species inhabits dry grasslands, heathlands, chalk downlands, and scrubby habitats where its larval host plants are found. Adult moths display distinctive pale yellow to golden-yellow forewings with irregular brown or reddish-brown markings near the wingtip, forming a pattern that resembles the shell of a conch, lending the species its common name. The wingspan typically measures around 15–22 mm. Biological traits such as average adult lifespan, precise body weight, and detailed population data remain poorly documented in consolidated scientific literature. Larvae feed internally on the roots of thistles and knapweeds, particularly <em>Centaurea</em> and <em>Cirsium</em> species. Adults fly from June to August and are frequently attracted to light. <em>Agapeta hamana</em> has been investigated as a potential biological control agent for invasive knapweed species in North America, where it has been introduced experimentally. The species is assessed as Least Concern given its broad distribution and stable habitat associations.

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 4 countries:

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