Clouded Agaric vs Lesser Hairy-winged Bat

Clitocybe nebularis compared with Harpiocephalus harpia

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clouded Agaric	Lesser Hairy-winged Bat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Tricholomataceae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Clitocybe	Harpiocephalus
Species	Clitocybe nebularis	Harpiocephalus harpia

Conservation Status

Clouded Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Lesser Hairy-winged Bat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clouded Agaric	Lesser Hairy-winged Bat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clouded Agaric

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and United States.

Lesser Hairy-winged Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

Clouded Agaric

The clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis, syn. Lepista nebularis) is a large, robust saprotrophic mushroom in the family Tricholomataceae found across temperate broadleaved and mixed forests of Europe and North America. It produces pale grey to buff fruiting bodies with broad, wavy caps up to 20 cm diameter, crowded, slightly decurrent gills, and a stout stipe, typically emerging in large fairy rings or scattered groups in autumn woodland settings. The common name 'clouded' refers to the greyish, misty coloration of the cap surface. Though historically eaten in parts of Europe and considered edible when thoroughly cooked, C. nebularis is now known to contain toxic compounds and a heat-labile gastrointestinal toxin that causes illness in some individuals, and it is associated with documented poisoning cases. Its strong mealy odor is distinctive. The species is widespread and common across European deciduous forests, fruiting reliably in autumn and forming an important component of the saprotrophic fungal community responsible for decomposing accumulated leaf litter and organic matter in temperate forest ecosystems.