Dyed Milkcap vs Fly Agaric

Lactarius hysginus compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Dyed Milkcap is Data Deficient while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dyed Milkcap	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Russulales (Russulales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Russulaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Lactarius	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Lactarius hysginus	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Dyed Milkcap and Fly Agaric share a common ancestor at the Class level: Agaricomycetes. (Mushrooms)

View Class: Agaricomycetes

Conservation Status

Dyed Milkcap

DD — Data Deficient

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dyed Milkcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

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

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.