Craterellus olivaceoluteus is a chanterelle of Guyana, currently known only from the Upper Potaro and Upper Mazaruni river basins. While there is limited forest cover loss within this range, the population size is still estimated to be small within this area; at 500-1,250 mature individuals. Therefore, even in the absence of any confirmed declines the species would qualify as Vulnerable under criterion D1 at the lower end of the population size estimate. The surrounding area contains seemingly suitable habitat, but in the absence of any published records outside of this known range, a precautionary approach has been taken and C. olivaceoluteus is assessed as Vulnerable.

Chanterelle project

This species is only known from Guyana, where it has been collected from the Upper Potaro and Upper Mazaruni river basins near to Mt. Ayanganna (Henkel et al. 2014).

With limited forest cover loss within its known range (see World Resources Institute 2023), the species is tentatively suspected to be stable. It occurs only solitarily or in pairs (Henkel et al. 2014), and so the number of mature individuals per functional individual is likely to be towards the lower estimate of Dahlberg and Mueller (2011); i.e. two to five mature individuals per functional individual. Approximately ten individual collecting sites were noted by Henkel et al. (2014), so if each site were considered to contain one functional individual then this would equate to 20-50 mature individuals. It is likely that there would be more than one functional individual per site, and with additional suitable habitat within the known range, then there could be five times the number of sites within this range. Using a conservative estimate of five functional individuals per site, would then give a total population size within the known range of 500-1,250 mature individuals. It should be noted that there is extensive suitable habitat in the surrounding region, but for the purposes of this assessment a precautionary approach is taken in the absence of any confirmed, published records outside of this known range. If it were to be found to be more widespread this could significantly alter the population size estimate.

This species has been found from the humus layer of forest floor or on rotten wood, as well as in the vicinity of savanna (Henkel et al. 2014). It has been found under Dicymbe corymbosa, D. altsonii, D. jenmanii, Aldina insignis and Pakaraimaea dipterocarpacea (Henkel et al. 2014).

The area around where it has been collected has not undergone any substantive forest cover loss over recent years (see World Resources Institute 2023), so the degree to which this species may face any specific anthropogenic threats is uncertain.

With limited impacts on forest cover within its known range, it is not thought to urgently need any conservation actions, but formal protection of this area would benefit the species in the long-term.

Further research is required to ascertain whether it is more widespread than currently known, which would then impact population size estimates at least.

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