False Bruce Spanworm vs Fly Agaric

Macaria loricaria compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• False Bruce Spanworm is Near Threatened while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	False Bruce Spanworm	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Geometridae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Macaria	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Macaria loricaria	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

False Bruce Spanworm

NT — Near Threatened

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

False Bruce Spanworm

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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