Fly Agaric vs Pitch canker

Amanita muscaria compared with Fusarium circinatum

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Pitch canker is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Pitch canker
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Hypocreales (Hypocreales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Nectriaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Fusarium
Species	Amanita muscaria	Fusarium circinatum

Evolutionary Relationship

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

View Kingdom: Fungi

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Pitch canker

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Pitch canker
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).

Pitch canker

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, South Africa, 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.