a Sand Martin flea vs Fly Agaric

Ceratophyllus styx compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

a Sand Martin flea is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	a Sand Martin flea	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Siphonaptera (Siphonaptera)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Ceratophyllidae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Ceratophyllus	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Ceratophyllus styx	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

a Sand Martin flea

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	a Sand Martin flea	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

a Sand Martin flea

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Fly Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

a Sand Martin flea

A sand martin flea (Ceratophyllus styx) is a species in the genus Ceratophyllus. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.