Assessment Notes

Justification

Carolinigaster bonitoi is a sequestrate fungus found in a small region of North Carolina, USA. The species is only known from its description in 2018 despite the existence of a previous study on gasteromycetes in the region. This suggests that this species may be rare or at least uncommon, but more information on host preference and targeted search efforts are needed to confirm this and estimate the population size and potential distribution. Therefore, the species is assessed as Data Deficient (DD).

---

Taxonomic notes

Described for the first time in 2018, Carolinigaster bonitoi it is the type species of the monotypic genus Carolinigaster, created based on morphological and molecular data (Crous et al. 2018).

---

Geographic range

This species is only known from two sites within Durham County in North Carolina, USA.

---

Population and Trends

Carolinigaster bonitoi has only been found at two close sites in Durham County, North Carolina. In its description, the authors raise the possibility of a wider distribution in North Carolina’s Piedmont region but note that this species had not been found before despite the existence of a previous study on gasteromycetes in North Carolina (Crous et al. 2018). Given the lack of previous records this may be a rare species, but without more information (e.g. host preference) and targeted searched efforts in areas of appropriate habitat it is difficult to estimate population size and potential distribution.

Population Trend: Unknown

---

Habitat and Ecology

This is a terrestrial hypogeous fungus, found growing underneath leaf litter in mixed forests with Quercus, Fagus and Pinus on silty-clay soil (Crous et al. 2018).

---

Threats

There is no threat information for this species.

---

Conservation Actions

More research into its ecology, namely host and habitat preference, as well as target search efforts are needed to establish the population size and potential distribution.

---

Source and Citation

Cunha, S.P. & Gonçalves, S.C. 2025. Carolinigaster bonitoi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T266000877A266021052. Accessed on 22 November 2025.

---

• Country occurrence