Brick Cap vs Chuuk Flying Fox

Hypholoma lateritium compared with Pteropus pelagicus

Key Differences

• Brick Cap is Least Concern while Chuuk Flying Fox is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brick Cap	Chuuk Flying Fox
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Strophariaceae	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)
Genus	Hypholoma	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)
Species	Hypholoma lateritium	Pteropus pelagicus

Conservation Status

Brick Cap

LC — Least Concern

Chuuk Flying Fox

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brick Cap	Chuuk Flying Fox
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brick Cap

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States).

Chuuk Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Brick Cap

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

Chuuk Flying Fox

The Chuuk flying fox (Pteropus pelagicus) is a large fruit bat in the family Pteropodidae, endemic to Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia, central Pacific Ocean. It occupies forested islands within the lagoon, roosting in large trees and foraging nocturnally on ripe fruits, nectar, and flowers of native tropical vegetation. As one of the few native pollinators and seed dispersers on these small island ecosystems, the Chuuk flying fox plays an essential ecological role in maintaining forest regeneration. The species is classified as Endangered by the IUCN, primarily due to its extremely restricted range—confined to a small island group—and ongoing hunting pressure for bushmeat, which is traditional in parts of Micronesia. Habitat loss from typhoons, agricultural conversion, and human development further threatens its already limited habitat. Pteropus bats across the Pacific have faced severe declines from overhunting, with several island species now extinct. The Chuuk flying fox has a wingspan that can exceed one meter, and roosts colonially in forest canopy trees. International agreements and national legislation within the Federated States of Micronesia provide some protection, but enforcement remains challenging. Population surveys and community-based conservation programs are urgently needed to stabilize this species.