vs Fly Agaric

Clitopilus daamsii compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		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	Entolomataceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Clitopilus	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Clitopilus daamsii	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

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

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).

Clitopilus daamsii is an agaric fungus in the family Entolomataceae named in honor of a mycologist contributing to European fungal taxonomy. Like other Clitopilus species, it produces fruiting bodies with white to pale grey caps, crowded, decurrent gills that become pinkish at maturity due to the development of angular, pink-tinged spores, and a mealy or farinaceous odor and taste characteristic of the genus. It inhabits deciduous woodland floors, woodland margins, and occasionally grassy habitats in temperate Europe, where it fruits in autumn among leaf litter. The genus Clitopilus includes both edible species, most notably C. prunulus (the sweetbread mushroom), and potentially confusable species. Accurate identification of Clitopilus species relies on spore morphology, odor, taste, gill attachment, and habitat. C. daamsii represents the diversity of named entolomatoid species emerging from detailed European mycological surveys, reflecting ongoing efforts to document and describe the full diversity of fungal life in temperate 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