Assessment Notes

Justification

Craterellus aureus is a widespread fungal species. It is unlikely to approach the thresholds for consideration as threatened under any criterion. Therefore, C. aureus is assessed as Least Concern.

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Geographic range

This species is widespread, but with a disparate recorded distribution. It is known from both East to South East Asia and Central Africa (see e.g. GBIF 2023).

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Population and Trends

With such a wide range it is highly like that the population size is very large; and while it is likely to be in decline as a result of habitat loss and degradation in parts of its range (see World Resources Institute 2023), its large range with large amounts of suitable habitat should ameliorate this to some extent. Therefore, it is suspected that the rate of decline would not approach the thresholds for consideration as threatened.

Population Trend: Decreasing

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Habitat and Ecology

This is an ectomycorrhizal species (Cho and Bang 2011, Degreef et al. 2016), occurring on soil in forest and plantations (e.g. Klingesorn 1998, Degreef et al. 2016, Index Fungorum Partnership 2023).

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Threats

While this species will face some local threats, e.g. from habitat destruction in parts of South East Asia, its very wide range means that such threats are unlikely to impact its extinction risk at the species level.

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Conservation Actions

Taxonomic research should be conducted to ascertain whether the records from Africa represent a separate species. Further work into the population size and trend could also be beneficial.

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Use and Trade

This is an edible species that is also noted for potential medicinal uses as well (e.g. Sanmee et al. 2003, Degreef et al. 2016, Wunjuntuk et al. 2022).

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Source and Citation

Westrip, J.R.S. 2025. Craterellus aureus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T269708725A269708727. Accessed on 23 November 2025.

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• Country occurrence