Fly Agaric vs Lesser Clouded Yellow

Amanita muscaria compared with Colias chrysotheme

Key Differences

• Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Lesser Clouded Yellow is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Lesser Clouded Yellow
Kingdom	Fungi (грибы)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (базидиомицеты)	Arthropoda (членистоногие)
Class	Agaricomycetes (агарикомицеты)	Insecta (насекомые)
Order	Agaricales (агариковые)	Lepidoptera (чешуекрылые)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Pieridae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Colias
Species	Amanita muscaria	Colias chrysotheme

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Lesser Clouded Yellow

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Lesser Clouded Yellow
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).

Lesser Clouded Yellow

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries). 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.