Beet Armyworm vs small tortoiseshell

Spodoptera exigua compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Beet Armyworm is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Beet Armyworm	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (artrópode)	Arthropoda (artrópode)
Class same	Insecta (inseto)	Insecta (inseto)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Noctuidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Spodoptera	Aglais
Species	Spodoptera exigua	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Beet Armyworm and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

Conservation Status

Beet Armyworm

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Beet Armyworm	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Beet Armyworm

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (8 countries), Asia (Taiwan, Yemen), Europe (5 countries), and North America (Mexico, United States).

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.

Beet Armyworm

The Beet Armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) is a species in the genus Spodoptera. Inhabits tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. The species is documented in scientific literature under the name Spodoptera exigua.

small tortoiseshell

A borboleta-urtiga-pequena (Aglais urticae) esta classificada como Quase Ameacada (NT) na Lista Vermelha da UICN. Proxima de se qualificar como ameacada, com populacoes que podem se tornar vulneraveis sem acoes de conservacao.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

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