vs Fly Agaric

Daldinia lloydii compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• is Endangered while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		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 lloydii	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

EN — Endangered

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

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. 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).

Daldinia lloydii is a pyrenomycete fungus in the family Hypoxylaceae, assessed as Endangered (EN). It produces hard, concentrically-layered, charcoal-like stromata on dead wood of specific host trees. Its endangered status reflects its dependence on old-growth or ancient woodland with standing deadwood, habitats that are increasingly rare.

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 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States