Diatom vs Fly Agaric

Coscinodiscus wailesii compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Diatom is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Diatom	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Chromista (Chromista)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Ochrophyta (Ochrophyta)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Bacillariophyceae (Bacillariophyceae)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Coscinodiscales (Coscinodiscales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Coscinodiscaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Coscinodiscus	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Coscinodiscus wailesii	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Diatom

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Diatom

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (10 countries), North America (Mexico, United States), and South America (Argentina, Brazil).

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 5 countries:

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