Charred Knight vs Fly Agaric

Tricholoma ustaloides compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Charred Knight is Vulnerable while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Charred Knight	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order same	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Tricholomataceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Tricholoma	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Tricholoma ustaloides	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Charred Knight and Fly Agaric share a common ancestor at the Order level: Agaricales. (Gilled Mushrooms)

Conservation Status

Charred Knight

VU — Vulnerable

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Charred Knight

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable 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).

Charred Knight

The Charred Knight (Tricholoma ustaloides) is a species in the genus Tricholoma. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

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