Butterscotch Waxcap vs Cluster Bat

Gliophorus europerplexus compared with Myotis sodalis

Key Differences

Butterscotch Waxcap is Vulnerable while Cluster Bat is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Butterscotch Waxcap	Cluster Bat
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	Gliophorus	Myotis
Species	Gliophorus europerplexus	Myotis sodalis

Conservation Status

Butterscotch Waxcap

VU — Vulnerable

Cluster Bat

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Butterscotch Waxcap	Cluster Bat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Butterscotch Waxcap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark and Norway. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cluster Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Butterscotch Waxcap

The Butterscotch Waxcap (Gliophorus europerplexus) is a species in the genus Gliophorus. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Cluster Bat

Myotis sodalis, the Indiana bat or cluster bat, is a medium-sized insectivorous bat in the family Vespertilionidae endemic to the eastern United States. It is one of the most endangered bats in North America, listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. The species is named for its behavior of clustering in extremely dense hibernation groups—sometimes thousands of bats per square meter—in specific limestone caves and mines during winter. These few critical hibernacula make the species extremely vulnerable to disturbance and disease. Since 2007, Indiana bats have suffered severe mortality from white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans that disrupts hibernation and causes mass starvation. During summer, Indiana bats roost under loose bark of dead trees and forage for insects over forested landscapes and riparian areas. Foraging individuals consume moths, beetles, and flying insects. Conservation efforts include cave gate protection, white-nose syndrome research, and summer habitat management on public and private lands across the eastern US.