Common Goldenring vs Fly Agaric

Cordulegaster boltonii compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Common Goldenring is Endangered while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Goldenring	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	Cordulegastridae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Cordulegaster	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Cordulegaster boltonii	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Common Goldenring

EN — Endangered

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Goldenring

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Endangered 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).

Common Goldenring

Common Goldenring (Cordulegaster boltonii) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

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.