Cornish Midget vs small tortoiseshell

Phyllonorycter staintoniella compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Cornish Midget is Critically Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cornish Midget	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)
Class same	Insecta (แมลง)	Insecta (แมลง)
Order same	Lepidoptera (ผีเสื้อ)	Lepidoptera (ผีเสื้อ)
Family	Gracillariidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Phyllonorycter	Aglais
Species	Phyllonorycter staintoniella	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Cornish Midget and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (ผีเสื้อ)

Conservation Status

Cornish Midget

CR — Critically Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cornish Midget	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cornish Midget

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically 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:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇮🇹 Italy 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden