vs small tortoiseshell

Coccomyces coronatus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (真菌界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Ascomycota (子囊菌门)	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)
Class	Leotiomycetes (锤舌菌纲)	Insecta (昆蟲綱)
Order	Rhytismatales (斑痣盘菌目)	Lepidoptera (鱗翅目)
Family	Rhytismataceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Coccomyces	Aglais
Species	Coccomyces coronatus	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.

Coccomyces coronatus is a discomycete fungus in the family Rhytismataceae, a group of ascomycetes specialized in the colonization and decomposition of dead plant material, particularly fallen leaves and decaying vegetation in temperate woodland ecosystems. The genus Coccomyces encompasses numerous species that produce small, inconspicuous apothecia—the cup-shaped or disc-shaped sexual fruiting bodies characteristic of discomycetes—embedded in or erupting from the surfaces of decaying leaves and plant debris. Coccomyces coronatus has been documented from European temperate forests, where it colonizes the dead leaves of deciduous trees, contributing to the decomposition of leaf litter and the cycling of nutrients back into the soil ecosystem. The fruiting bodies are typically dark, disc-shaped, and minute, often requiring hand lens or microscopic examination to observe in detail. Like other rhytismatacean fungi, C. coronatus produces ascospores that are discharged from the asci within the apothecium and dispersed by air currents or water splash to colonize new substrate. The specific epithet 'coronatus' likely refers to a crown-like or crownate morphological feature of the fruiting body or spore apparatus. As a saprotrophic organism, this fungus plays an important functional role in forest floor decomposition, breaking down recalcitrant leaf material alongside bacteria, invertebrates, and other fungi. Its conservation status has not been evaluated by the IUCN.