Fly Agaric vs Orange-tailed Clearwing

Amanita muscaria compared with Synanthedon andrenaeformis

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Orange-tailed Clearwing is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Orange-tailed Clearwing
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Sesiidae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Synanthedon
Species	Amanita muscaria	Synanthedon andrenaeformis

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Orange-tailed Clearwing

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Orange-tailed Clearwing
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).

Orange-tailed Clearwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

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.