Fly Agaric vs Spring Polypore

Amanita muscaria compared with Lentinus arcularius

Key Differences

• Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Spring Polypore is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Spring Polypore
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Polyporales (Polyporales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Polyporaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Lentinus
Species	Amanita muscaria	Lentinus arcularius

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Spring Polypore

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Spring Polypore
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).

Spring Polypore

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States