Fly Agaric vs Glaucous Cup Lichen

Amanita muscaria compared with Cladonia glauca

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Glaucous Cup Lichen is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Glaucous Cup Lichen
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Cladoniaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Cladonia
Species	Amanita muscaria	Cladonia glauca

Evolutionary Relationship

Fly Agaric and Glaucous Cup Lichen share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Fungi. (Fungi)

View Kingdom: Fungi

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Glaucous Cup Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic 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).

Glaucous Cup 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

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.