Asterisk Lichen vs Fly Agaric

Arthonia radiata compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asterisk Lichen	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Arthoniomycetes (Arthoniomycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Arthoniales (Arthoniales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Arthoniaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Arthonia	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Arthonia radiata	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

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

View Kingdom: Fungi

Conservation Status

Asterisk Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Asterisk Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

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).

Asterisk Lichen

The Asterisk Lichen (Arthonia radiata) is a species in the genus Arthonia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region. Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

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.