Alfalfa dodder vs small tortoiseshell

Cuscuta approximata compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Alfalfa dodder is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alfalfa dodder	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (木兰植物门)	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)
Class	Magnoliopsida (木兰纲)	Insecta (昆蟲綱)
Order	Solanales (茄目)	Lepidoptera (鱗翅目)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Cuscuta	Aglais
Species	Cuscuta approximata	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Alfalfa dodder

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alfalfa dodder	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alfalfa dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China, Tajikistan), Europe (Hungary, Sweden), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

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.

Alfalfa dodder

The Alfalfa dodder (Cuscuta approximata) is a species in the genus Cuscuta. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

small tortoiseshell

小玳瑁蛱蝶(Aglais urticae)在IUCN红色名录中被列为近危(NT)物种。接近符合受威胁种标准，如无保护措施，种群可能变得脆弱。

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇭🇺 Hungary 🇸🇪 Sweden