Alpine Earwort vs Fly Agaric

Diplophyllum taxifolium compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alpine Earwort	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Scapaniaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Diplophyllum	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Diplophyllum taxifolium	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Alpine Earwort

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine Earwort

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and 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).

Alpine Earwort

The Alpine Earwort (Diplophyllum taxifolium) is a species in the genus Diplophyllum. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region. Distributed across Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and United States.

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.