Fly Agaric vs Hellrote Sandbiene

Amanita muscaria compared with Andrena marginata

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Hellrote Sandbiene is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Hellrote Sandbiene
Kingdom	Fungi (Pilze)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Insecta (Insekten)
Order	Agaricales (Champignonartige)	Hymenoptera (Hautflügler)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Andrenidae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Andrena
Species	Amanita muscaria	Andrena marginata

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Hellrote Sandbiene

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Hellrote Sandbiene
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).

Hellrote Sandbiene

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable 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.