Devil's bolete, a poisonous lookalike

Among the boletes — the family that also includes porcini — there's a dangerous relative, the devil's bolete. From a distance, a sturdy porcini with a thick stem can be mistaken for it, so every forager should know its features. Let's look at how to recognize the devil's bolete and why it's dangerous.

How to recognize the devil's bolete

The devil's bolete gives itself away with a few striking signs:

The pores (underside of the cap) are red or orange-red — in porcini they're white, later yellow-green, but never red.
The stem is thick and swollen, with a red net pattern in its middle part.
The cap is pale, dirty white or grayish, large and fleshy.
The cut flesh quickly turns blue, sometimes with a reddish tinge.
The smell of an old mushroom is unpleasant, rotten.

The most reliable sign is red pores combined with a red net pattern on the stem.

Where and when it occurs

The devil's bolete loves warmth and limestone soils and grows in deciduous forests under oak, hornbeam and beech, mostly in the south and west of the country. It's uncommon and appears from June to September.

Why it's dangerous

The devil's bolete is poisonous. It causes severe food poisoning with nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain within just a few hours of eating, especially raw or undercooked. Deaths are rare, but the poisoning can be severe and needs a doctor's care. What to do in case of poisoning — see the article mushroom poisoning: signs and first aid.

How not to confuse it with porcini

Remember the key difference: in porcini the underside of the cap is white, later yellowish-greenish, and the cut flesh does not turn blue. Red pores, a red net on the stem or strong bluing are a reason to leave the mushroom in the forest. On other porcini lookalikes — see the article lookalikes of the summer bolete, and on the most dangerous mushrooms — deadly poisonous mushrooms of Ukraine.

Sources

“Field Guide to the Fungi of Ukraine” (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka publishing house).
Rubroboletus satanas in GBIF, the global biodiversity database.
Devil's bolete on Wikipedia.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognize the devil's bolete?

By its red or orange-red pores under the cap, its thick swollen stem with a red net pattern, its pale cap and flesh that quickly turns blue when cut. Red pores are the main sign.

Is the devil's bolete poisonous?

Yes, the devil's bolete is poisonous. It causes severe food poisoning with vomiting and abdominal pain, especially when raw or undercooked. A doctor's care is needed.

Is the devil's bolete deadly?

Deaths are rare, but the poisoning can be severe, with heavy vomiting and dehydration. So this mushroom must never be picked or tasted.

How does the devil's bolete differ from porcini?

In porcini the underside of the cap is white, later yellow-greenish, and the flesh does not turn blue. The devil's bolete has red pores, a red net on the stem, and its cut flesh quickly turns blue. These are reliable differences.

Where does the devil's bolete grow?

In warm deciduous forests on limestone soils, under oak, hornbeam and beech, mostly in the south and west of Ukraine. It's uncommon and appears from June to September.

What should you do if you've eaten a devil's bolete?

If nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain appear, seek medical help immediately and keep the mushroom leftovers for identification. Self-treating mushroom poisoning is dangerous.

Why does the devil's bolete turn blue when cut?

It's its flesh reacting to oxygen. Strong, rapid bluing combined with red pores is a telltale sign that helps tell this poisonous mushroom apart from edible boletes.