ADILABAD: When we think of the Kawal Tiger Reserve, the mind conjures images of striped predators and towering trees. But a crucial drama of life and diversity unfolds at our feet. The recent discovery of Hygrocybe pellucida, a mushroom species new to Telangana and known to science only since 2024, reveals this hidden world, proving the reserve is a sanctuary for the small and rare as much as for the large and iconic.
The species was recorded on October 16 by wildlife researcher and Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society (North Telangana) coordinator Dr Venkatesh Anagandhula. Belonging to the Hygrophoraceae family, Hygrocybe pellucida was first discovered in Kerala in 2024.
Known for their bright, waxy and vividly coloured fruiting bodies, Hygrocybe mushrooms — commonly called waxcaps — thrive in mossy forest floors and nutrient-poor habitats. This first confirmed record from Telangana extends the species’ range to southern India and highlights the presence of pristine microhabitats in Kawal, such as moist, shaded forest floors with moss cover and minimal human disturbance.
Dr Venkatesh said that over the past few years, he has documented more than 80 fungal species in the reserve, with five to six newly recorded for Telangana. Among these are Marasmius haematocephalus (purple pinwheel), Dacryopinax spathularia (fan-shaped jelly fungus) and Stemonitis splendens (chocolate tube slime mould).
“These discoveries underline the rich biodiversity of the Kawal Tiger Reserve and the urgent need to protect its delicate ecosystem,” Dr Venkatesh says.