Astarte's Catchfly vs Fly Agaric

Silene astartes compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Astarte's Catchfly is Vulnerable while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Astarte's Catchfly	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Caryophyllaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Silene	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Silene astartes	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Astarte's Catchfly

VU — Vulnerable

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Astarte's Catchfly	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Astarte's Catchfly

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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).

Astarte's Catchfly

The Astarte's Catchfly (Silene astartes) is a species in the genus Silene. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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.