Fly Agaric vs Moondust Speckled Lichen

Amanita muscaria compared with Punctelia caseana

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Moondust Speckled 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)	Parmeliaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Punctelia
Species	Amanita muscaria	Punctelia caseana

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Moondust Speckled Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Moondust Speckled 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).

Moondust Speckled Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and United States.

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 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States