Catchfly vs Fly Agaric

Silene antirrhina compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Catchfly is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Catchfly	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Pflanzen)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Caryophyllales (Nelkenartige)	Agaricales (Champignonartige)
Family	Caryophyllaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Silene	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Silene antirrhina	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Catchfly

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Catchfly	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Catchfly

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan), Europe (Hungary, Norway, Sweden), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Argentina, Brazil).

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).

Catchfly

The Catchfly (Silene antirrhina) is a species in the genus Silene. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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.