Fly Agaric vs

Amanita muscaria compared with Phaeographis dendritica

Key Differences

• Fly Agaric is Least Concern while is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Ostropales (Ostropales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Graphidaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Phaeographis
Species	Amanita muscaria	Phaeographis dendritica

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

VU — Vulnerable

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 and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Norway, and Portugal. 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.

Phaeographis dendritica is a corticolous crustose lichen forming pale to whitish patches on smooth bark with distinctive branched, dendritic lirellate apothecia. It inhabits humid, shaded temperate woodland, particularly old-growth forests in oceanic regions. Classified as Vulnerable, this species is threatened by habitat loss and the decline of ancient, undisturbed woodland ecosystems.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal