Habitat and Ecology
Hortiboletus bubalinus grows in urban environments, parks, private gardens, lawns and wooded strips along roads, at open areas, the species has well-known ecology. Most often it is in association with Tilia, Populus and Betula although it can also be found with other broadleaf trees, and there are even reports on Pinus and Picea (Assyov and Stoykov 2011, Alli et al. 2019). It prefers moist soil and it is often seen by river beds. The species typically produces sporocarps from late-spring to late-autumn. In Italy, it has been observed at air temperature between 18–21 °C degrees (Gelardi 2008-2009).
In North Macedonia, it has been recorded at a single site, in the region of Strushko Pole, in a park situated 200 meters away from the shore of Lake Ohrid, at an elevation of 695 m. It has not been frequently reported in the past, since it might have been identified as one of the similar species in this group. It has garnered greater attention in the last decade, especially in the southern parts of Europe (Gelardi 2010). Due to the type of species ecology, it is barely feasible to make any estimation on the availability of an appropriate habitat and estimation on the probable number of sites.
