Population biology of Aureoboletus projectellus

Aureoboletus projectellus is a bolete native to eastern North America that forms ectomycorrhizal associations with pine trees. In recent decades, it has begun spreading around the Baltic Sea and is considered a potentially invasive species in Europe. In this project, we use genomic data from A. projectellus collected across its native and introduced ranges to investigate how the species has spread and how it propagates.

Aureoboletus projectellus was first formally reported from Europe on the Lithuanian Baltic Sea coast in 2007. However, local mushroom hunters reported that the species may have been observed as early as the late 1980s. Since then, it has spread rapidly around the Baltic Sea and established ectomycorrhizal associations with the native European pines Pinus sylvestris and Pinus mugo.

Once established, A. projectellus can rapidly form large fairy rings and become locally abundant. For example, approximately 4,500 fruiting bodies were reported from a single locality in Poland in 2016.

By comparing genomes from populations across the world, we aim to reconstruct the history of A. projectellus in Europe and identify the routes by which it has spread. We are also investigating whether its rapid expansion is associated with particular modes of reproduction or propagation.

Group members involved in the Aureoboletus projectellus project: Marisol Sanchez-Garcia, Otto Orrvik, Sten Svantesson

Search for papers about Aureoboletus projectellus on the Publications page