Fly Agaric vs Russian Conecap

Amanita muscaria compared with Strobilurus stephanocystis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Russian Conecap
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order same	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Physalacriaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Strobilurus
Species	Amanita muscaria	Strobilurus stephanocystis

Evolutionary Relationship

Fly Agaric and Russian Conecap share a common ancestor at the Order level: Agaricales. (Gilled Mushrooms)

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Russian Conecap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Russian Conecap
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).

Russian Conecap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.

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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden