Flame Shield vs Sooty Shield

Pluteus aurantiorugosus compared with Pluteus ephebeus

Key Differences

• Flame Shield is Endangered while Sooty Shield is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Flame Shield	Sooty Shield
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order same	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family same	Pluteaceae	Pluteaceae
Genus same	Pluteus	Pluteus
Species	Pluteus aurantiorugosus	Pluteus ephebeus

Evolutionary Relationship

Flame Shield and Sooty Shield share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Pluteus.

Conservation Status

Flame Shield

EN — Endangered

Sooty Shield

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Flame Shield	Sooty Shield
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Flame Shield

Habitat

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

Range

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

Sooty Shield

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden