Dwarf Shield vs Ghost Shield

Pluteus nanus compared with Pluteus pellitus

Key Differences

• Dwarf Shield is Least Concern while Ghost Shield is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dwarf Shield	Ghost Shield
Kingdom same	Fungi (菌界)	Fungi (菌界)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (担子菌門)	Basidiomycota (担子菌門)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (真正担子菌綱)	Agaricomycetes (真正担子菌綱)
Order same	Agaricales (ハラタケ目)	Agaricales (ハラタケ目)
Family same	Pluteaceae	Pluteaceae
Genus same	Pluteus	Pluteus
Species	Pluteus nanus	Pluteus pellitus

Evolutionary Relationship

Dwarf Shield and Ghost Shield share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Pluteus.

Conservation Status

Dwarf Shield

LC — Least Concern

Ghost Shield

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dwarf Shield	Ghost Shield
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dwarf Shield

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Ghost Shield

Habitat

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

Range

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

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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