Bitter Waxcap vs Blusher

Hygrocybe mucronella compared with Amanita rubescens

Key Differences

• Bitter Waxcap is Near Threatened while Blusher is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Waxcap	Blusher
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	Hygrophoraceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Hygrocybe	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Hygrocybe mucronella	Amanita rubescens

Evolutionary Relationship

Bitter Waxcap and Blusher share a common ancestor at the Order level: Agaricales. (Gilled Mushrooms)

Conservation Status

Bitter Waxcap

NT — Near Threatened

Blusher

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Waxcap	Blusher
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter Waxcap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Blusher

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Chile, Portugal, Sweden, and United States.

Bitter Waxcap

The Bitter Waxcap (Hygrocybe mucronella) is a species in the genus Hygrocybe. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Blusher

The Blusher (Amanita rubescens) is a species in the genus Amanita. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden