Cramp Balls vs Fly Agaric

Daldinia concentrica compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Cramp Balls is Vulnerable while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cramp Balls	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Xylariales (Xylariales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Hypoxylaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Daldinia	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Daldinia concentrica	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Cramp Balls and Fly Agaric share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Fungi. (Fungi)

Conservation Status

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cramp Balls

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). 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).

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 6 countries:

🇧🇷 Brazil 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States