Dark Red Disc Lichen vs Fly Agaric

Lecidea erythrophaea compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Dark Red Disc Lichen is Vulnerable while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dark Red Disc Lichen	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Lecideales (Lecideales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Lecideaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Lecidea	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Lecidea erythrophaea	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Dark Red Disc Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dark Red Disc Lichen

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 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 4 countries:

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