Ghost Shield vs Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

Pluteus pellitus compared with Echinops foliosus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ghost Shield	Polyphyllous Globe Thistle
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)
Family	Pluteaceae	Tenrecidae
Genus	Pluteus	Echinops
Species	Pluteus pellitus	Echinops foliosus

Conservation Status

Ghost Shield

VU — Vulnerable

Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ghost Shield	Polyphyllous Globe Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ghost Shield

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.