Fly Agaric vs Scaly Stalkball

Amanita muscaria compared with Tulostoma melanocyclum

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Scaly Stalkball is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Scaly Stalkball
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 same	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Tulostoma
Species	Amanita muscaria	Tulostoma melanocyclum

Evolutionary Relationship

Fly Agaric and Scaly Stalkball share a common ancestor at the Family level: Agaricaceae. (Agarics)

View Family: Agaricaceae

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Scaly Stalkball

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Scaly Stalkball
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).

Scaly Stalkball

Habitat

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

Range

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