Bent Ring Lichen vs Fly Agaric

Arctoparmelia incurva compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Bent Ring Lichen is Critically Endangered while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bent Ring Lichen	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Parmeliaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Arctoparmelia	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Arctoparmelia incurva	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Bent Ring Lichen

CR — Critically Endangered

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bent Ring Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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).

Bent Ring Lichen

The Bent Ring Lichen (Arctoparmelia incurva) is a species in the genus Arctoparmelia. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. 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