Dakota Skipper vs Fly Agaric

Hesperia dacotae compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Dakota Skipper is Endangered while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dakota Skipper	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Hesperiidae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Hesperia	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Hesperia dacotae	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Dakota Skipper

EN — Endangered

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dakota Skipper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in Canada. 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).

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.