vs Fly Agaric

Eunotia eurycephala compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Chromista (Chromista)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Ochrophyta (Ochrophyta)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Bacillariophyceae (Bacillariophyceae)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Eunotiales (Eunotiales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Eunotiaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Eunotia	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Eunotia eurycephala	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

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, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

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).

Eunotia eurycephala is a freshwater diatom belonging to the Eunotia genus, recognisable by its broadly expanded, rounded headpoles and gently curved valve outline. It is found in soft, acidic freshwater habitats including peatlands, sphagnum bogs, and mountain lakes across Europe and North America. This species serves as a bioindicator for water chemistry monitoring.

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.