Fly Agaric vs Saltern Bent-wing

Amanita muscaria compared with Bucculatrix maritima

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Saltern Bent-wing is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Saltern Bent-wing
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)	Bucculatricidae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Bucculatrix
Species	Amanita muscaria	Bucculatrix maritima

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Saltern Bent-wing

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Saltern Bent-wing
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).

Saltern Bent-wing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Endangered 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.