Blackthorn Dotty vs Fly Agaric

Polystigma rubrum compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackthorn Dotty	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Phyllachorales (Phyllachorales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Phyllachoraceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Polystigma	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Polystigma rubrum	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Blackthorn Dotty

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blackthorn Dotty

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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).

Blackthorn Dotty

The Blackthorn Dotty (Polystigma rubrum) is a species in the genus Polystigma. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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