Rare fungi spotted for first time in Telangana’s Kawal Tiger Reserve

Wildlife researcher Dr Venkatesh Anagandhula recorded the rare fungus Hygrocybe pellucida for the first time in Telangana’s Kawal Tiger Reserve. The finding extends its distribution to southern India and highlights the ecological significance of the reserve’s undisturbed forest habitats

Mancherial: Hygrocybe pellucida, a rare fungi species, was sighted for the first time in Telangana’s Kawal Tiger Reserve by a wildlife researcher and Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society (HyTicos) North Telangana coordinator Dr Venkatesh Anagandhula on Thursday.

Venkatesh said that this was the first confirmed record of Hygrocybe pellucida from Telangana State, extending its distribution to southern India. Its occurrence in the Kawal Tiger Reserve indicates the presence of suitable microhabitats, such as moist, shaded forest floors with moss cover and low anthropogenic disturbance. The record emphasises the ecological importance of the Kawal Tiger Reserve and the need for continued fungal biodiversity assessments in the region

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According to him, the species of Hygrocybe are characterised by their bright, waxy, and often vividly coloured fruiting bodies, typically found in unimproved grasslands, mossy forest floors, and other nutrient-poor habitats and commonly known for wax cups.

Hygrocybe pellucida was described as a new species in the Hygrophoraceae family from Kerala during 2024. Hygrocybe pellucida (Peck) Murrill is a small, delicate agaric fungus belonging to the family Hygrophoraceae, genus Hygrocybe. The genus Hygrocybe is a well-known genera of agarics with 350 listed species and distributed worldwide.