Large Tortoiseshell
CR

Large Tortoiseshell

Nymphalis polychloros

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_tortoiseshell

Overview

The large tortoiseshell or blackleg tortoiseshell is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.

The Large Tortoiseshell butterfly has experienced severe population declines across its range due to habitat loss and fragmentation of woodland areas where its host plants grow. Climate change and changing woodland management practices have further reduced suitable breeding habitats, while the species' specific ecological requirements make it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.

Threat summary

Habitat

The species is found in North Africa, southern and central Europe, Turkey, southern Russia, the central and southern Urals, Kazakhstan and the Himalayas. In Central Europe it occurs mainly in warmer regions and has become generally rare, while populations remain more numerous in parts of the Mediterranean region and the southern Alps.

Large tortoiseshells inhabit open woodland, woodland edges...

Other threatened species in Nymphalidae

Scarce FritillaryCR

Scarce Fritillary

Euphydryas maturna

Unknown
EN

Altopedaliodes albonotata

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Two-tailed PashaVU

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Charaxes jasius

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False GraylingVU

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Arethusana arethusa

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Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

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VU

Syndyas nigripes

Unknown
Chrysotus cupreusCR

Chrysotus cupreus

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narulukkokiiluri

Syntormon filiger

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Large Tortoiseshell classified as Critically Endangered?
Large Tortoiseshell is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Large Tortoiseshell butterfly has experienced severe population declines across its range due to habitat loss and fragmentation of woodland areas where its host plants grow. Climate change and changing woodland management practices have further reduced suitable breeding habitats, while the species' specific ecological requirements make it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.
Where does Large Tortoiseshell live?
Large Tortoiseshell occurs in Åland Islands, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, and Austria (plus 59 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Large Tortoiseshell?
The main threats to Large Tortoiseshell are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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