Bitter Waxcap vs Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat

Hygrocybe mucronella compared with Balantiopteryx infusca

Key Differences

• Bitter Waxcap is Near Threatened while Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Waxcap	Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Hygrophoraceae	Emballonuridae
Genus	Hygrocybe	Balantiopteryx
Species	Hygrocybe mucronella	Balantiopteryx infusca

Conservation Status

Bitter Waxcap

NT — Near Threatened

Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Waxcap	Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat
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.

Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador. 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.