Fly Agaric vs

Amanita muscaria compared with Russula subrubens

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Russulales (Russulales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Russulaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Russula
Species	Amanita muscaria	Russula subrubens

Evolutionary Relationship

Fly Agaric and share a common ancestor at the Class level: Agaricomycetes. (Mushrooms)

View Class: Agaricomycetes

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

LC — Least Concern

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

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Russula subrubens is a mycorrhizal mushroom in the family Russulaceae, forming ectomycorrhizal associations with deciduous and coniferous trees. It produces medium-sized fruitbodies with reddish to pinkish caps and brittle white gills typical of the genus Russula. Assessed as Least Concern, it is found in temperate woodland habitats across Europe.