Fly Agaric vs

Amanita muscaria compared with Hemiselmis anomala

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Chromista (Chromista)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Cryptophyta
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Cryptophyceae (Cryptophyceae)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Pyrenomonadales (Pyrenomonadales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Chroomonadaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Hemiselmis
Species	Amanita muscaria	Hemiselmis anomala

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric
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).

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

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.

Hemiselmis anomala is a unicellular cryptomonad alga found in marine and estuarine environments, characterised by its asymmetric, kidney-shaped cell and two unequal flagella for swimming. It contains phycobilin pigments allowing photosynthesis and plays a role in marine and coastal primary production. Cryptomonads like this species are significant contributors to phytoplankton communities in diverse aquatic habitats.