Fly Agaric vs

Amanita muscaria compared with Planktothrix prolifica

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Cyanobacteria (Cyanobacteria)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Cyanobacteriia
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Cyanobacteriales
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Microcoleaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Planktothrix
Species	Amanita muscaria	Planktothrix prolifica

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric
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).

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Planktothrix prolifica is a filamentous cyanobacterium in the family Phormidiaceae that forms straight, unbranched trichomes in the water column of freshwater lakes. Some Planktothrix species are associated with the production of cyanotoxins, making them of ecological and public health interest. Its conservation status is not evaluated.