Alder rust vs Fly Agaric

Melampsoridium hiratsukanum compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Alder rust is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder rust	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniomycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Pucciniales (Pucciniales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Pucciniastraceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Melampsoridium	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Melampsoridium hiratsukanum	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Alder rust and Fly Agaric share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Basidiomycota. (Club Fungi)

Conservation Status

Alder rust

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder rust	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alder rust

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (22 countries) and North America (United States).

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).

Alder rust

The Alder rust (Melampsoridium hiratsukanum) is a species in the genus Melampsoridium. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Fly Agaric

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States