Bitter Waxcap vs Lesser Cachalot

Hygrocybe mucronella compared with Kogia breviceps

Key Differences

• Bitter Waxcap is Near Threatened while Lesser Cachalot is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Waxcap	Lesser Cachalot
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Hygrophoraceae	Kogiidae
Genus	Hygrocybe	Kogia
Species	Hygrocybe mucronella	Kogia breviceps

Conservation Status

Bitter Waxcap

NT — Near Threatened

Lesser Cachalot

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Waxcap	Lesser Cachalot
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.

Lesser Cachalot

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Portugal, Sweden, and Taiwan.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden