Fly Agaric vs Red Beard Lichen

Amanita muscaria compared with Usnea rubicunda

Key Differences

• Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Red Beard Lichen is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Red Beard Lichen
Kingdom same	Fungi (Pilze)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Agaricales (Champignonartige)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Parmeliaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Usnea
Species	Amanita muscaria	Usnea rubicunda

Evolutionary Relationship

Fly Agaric and Red Beard Lichen share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Fungi. (Pilze)

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Red Beard Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Red Beard Lichen
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).

Red Beard Lichen

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (Norway, Portugal, Sweden), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

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 5 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States