Bitter Waxcap vs Lesser Noctule

Hygrocybe mucronella compared with Nyctalus leisleri

Key Differences

• Bitter Waxcap is Near Threatened while Lesser Noctule is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Waxcap	Lesser Noctule
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Hygrophoraceae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Hygrocybe	Nyctalus
Species	Hygrocybe mucronella	Nyctalus leisleri

Conservation Status

Bitter Waxcap

NT — Near Threatened

Lesser Noctule

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Waxcap	Lesser Noctule
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 Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden