Ash Dieback vs Fly Agaric

Hymenoscyphus fraxineus compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Ash Dieback is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ash Dieback	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Leotiomycetes (Leotiomycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Helotiales (Helotiales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Helotiaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Hymenoscyphus	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Hymenoscyphus fraxineus	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Ash Dieback and Fly Agaric share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Fungi. (Fungi)

Conservation Status

Ash Dieback

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ash Dieback

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (8 countries).

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).

Ash Dieback

Ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) is a species in the genus Hymenoscyphus. Native to Europe, 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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden