Fleecy Shield vs Fly Agaric

Pluteus hispidulus compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Fleecy Shield is Vulnerable while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fleecy Shield	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (грибы)	Fungi (грибы)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (базидиомицеты)	Basidiomycota (базидиомицеты)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (агарикомицеты)	Agaricomycetes (агарикомицеты)
Order same	Agaricales (агариковые)	Agaricales (агариковые)
Family	Pluteaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Pluteus	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Pluteus hispidulus	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Fleecy Shield and Fly Agaric share a common ancestor at the Order level: Agaricales. (агариковые)

Conservation Status

Fleecy Shield

VU — Vulnerable

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fleecy Shield	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Fleecy 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.

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).

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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden