Broom midget vs Fly Agaric

Phyllonorycter scopariella compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Broom midget is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broom midget	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Gracillariidae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Phyllonorycter	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Phyllonorycter scopariella	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Broom midget

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broom midget

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Russia, 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).

Broom midget

The Broom Midget (Phyllonorycter scopariella) is a species in the genus Phyllonorycter. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats. Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Russia, 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.