Cardinal Meadowhawk vs Fly Agaric

Sympetrum illotum compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Meadowhawk	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Libellulidae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Sympetrum	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Sympetrum illotum	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Cardinal Meadowhawk

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in 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).

Cardinal Meadowhawk

The Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) is a species in the genus Sympetrum. It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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.