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Devil's bolete (Rubroboletus satanas), whole fruiting body
bjoerns · CC BY-SA 4.0
Poisonous

Devil’s bolete

Rubroboletus satanas · Boletaceae

A large bolete with a chalky white to dirty grey cap, red pores underneath and a swollen stem covered in a red net.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial team5 sources checkedReport a correction

FamilyBoletaceae
SeasonJul–Oct
Spore printOlive-brown
Cap width8–30 cm
Stem length5–15 cm
Records in Turkey2 records
CultivationWild only
StatusPoisonous

A large bolete with a chalky white to dirty grey cap, red pores underneath and a swollen stem covered in a red net. The flesh turns blue when cut. It is poisonous, causing violent vomiting and diarrhoea.

Also called: Satan's bolete, Satan's mushroom Turkish: Şeytan mantarı, şeytan çöreği, zehirli çörek mantarı Synonyms: Boletus satanas

Devil's bolete (Rubroboletus satanas), whole fruiting body

How to recognise it

Devil’s bolete, part by part

No ring or volva Spore print: Olive-brown Mild when young, rank and unpleasant when old; the cut flesh turns pale blue.

Devil's bolete (Rubroboletus satanas), whole fruiting body
Cap8–30 cm, convex and thick; chalky white, grey to olive-tinged, dry and slightly velvety.
Devil's bolete (Rubroboletus satanas), pores under the cap, seen from below
PoresPores yellow when young, then blood-red to orange-red; bruising blue when pressed.
Devil's bolete (Rubroboletus satanas), stem and stem base
Stem5–15 cm, very swollen and bulbous; yellow at the top and red in the middle, covered in a red net.

When and where

Jul–Oct

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Julin season
  8. Augin season
  9. Sepin season
  10. Octin season
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

The devil's bolete fruits from late summer to mid-autumn; Turkish records date from September and October.

Type Poisonous

Months seen JulyAugustSeptemberOctober

Colour WhiteGrey

Regions Eastern Anatolia RegionMarmara RegionIstanbul

Where do devil's boletes grow?

The devil's bolete grows on warm, chalky soil under oak, sweet chestnut and beech, forming a mycorrhizal partnership with the trees.

Where is devil's boletes found in Turkey?

The devil's bolete has GBIF records in Turkey from İstanbul and Tunceli, plus research-grade observations on iNaturalist.

Which months

  1. Jan0
  2. Feb0
  3. Mar0
  4. Apr0
  5. May0
  6. Jun0
  7. Jul0
  8. Aug0
  9. Sep1
  10. Oct1
  11. Nov0
  12. Dec0

2 provinces, 2 observations (GBIF, iNaturalist); months from observation dates. Record density also reflects where observers work.

Latest devil's bolete observations

On "illustrative" cards the image is a photo of the species; the observation photo cannot be shown here because of its licence, but can be seen at the source.

Devil's bolete (Rubroboletus satanas), in its natural habitat
In its habitat

Look-alikes

What is it mistaken for?

Devil’s bolete can be mistaken for the species below. Each card shows the look-alike and how it differs from Devil’s bolete.

Devil's bolete (Rubroboletus satanas), whole fruiting body
This species Devil’s bolete
Porcini (Boletus edulis), whole fruiting body Edible species

not Devil’s bolete

Porcini Boletus edulis

Its pores go from white to yellow-green and are never red; the net on its stem is white and the flesh does not turn blue.

Lurid bolete (Suillellus luridus) Poisonous

not Devil’s bolete

Lurid bolete Suillellus luridus

Olive-brown cap, red net on the stem and flesh that quickly turns dark blue; poisonous raw.

Rhodoxanthus bolete (Rubroboletus rhodoxanthus) Poisonous

not Devil’s bolete

Rhodoxanthus bolete Rubroboletus rhodoxanthus

Pinkish-tinged cap with red pores and a red net; also treated as poisonous.

Scarletina bolete (Neoboletus erythropus), whole fruiting body Inedible

not Devil’s bolete

Scarletina bolete Neoboletus erythropus

The scarletina bolete has a dark brown, velvety cap and red dots rather than a net on its stem; it grows on acidic soil, often under conifers.

Toxins

The devil's bolete's toxin is a protein called bolesatine, which causes severe gastrointestinal poisoning. Source

Frequently asked questions

Is the devil's bolete poisonous?

Yes. The devil's bolete is poisonous, causing violent vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea, and cooking does not remove the risk.

How do you tell it from porcini?

The devil's bolete has red pores, a red net on its stem and flesh that turns blue when cut. Porcini (Boletus edulis) has white to yellow-green pores, a white net and flesh that does not change colour.

Does the devil's bolete grow in Turkey?

Yes. GBIF has records from İstanbul and Tunceli, and there are research-grade observations from Turkey on iNaturalist.

Where does the devil's bolete grow?

On warm, chalky soil under oak, sweet chestnut and beech.

When does it appear?

From July to October; Turkish records date from September and October.

Is a mushroom that turns blue when cut poisonous?

Blueing alone does not mean a mushroom is poisonous, since some edible boletes also blue. But boletes with red pores that turn blue, including the devil's bolete, are not picked.

Is Satan's bolete the same as the devil's bolete?

Yes. Satan's bolete and devil's bolete both mean Rubroboletus satanas, a poisonous bolete with a pale cap, red pores and a red-netted stem.

Are devil's boletes poisonous?

Yes, the devil's bolete is poisonous and must not be eaten. Boletes with red pores that turn blue when cut are not picked. Symptoms of devil's bolete poisoning usually start within 1–6 hours with vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea.

When is devil's bolete season in Turkey?

In our calendar, devil's bolete season runs Jul–Oct. The devil's bolete fruits from late summer to mid-autumn; Turkish records date from September and October.

Where do devil's boletes grow?

The devil's bolete grows on warm, chalky soil under oak, sweet chestnut and beech, forming a mycorrhizal partnership with the trees.

Where are devil's boletes found in Turkey?

The devil's bolete has GBIF records in Turkey from İstanbul and Tunceli, plus research-grade observations on iNaturalist.

What can the devil's bolete be confused with?

The devil's bolete can be confused with porcini (Boletus edulis, edible species), lurid bolete (Suillellus luridus, poisonous), rhodoxanthus bolete (Rubroboletus rhodoxanthus, poisonous) and scarletina bolete (Neoboletus erythropus, inedible). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is the devil's bolete called in Turkish?

In Turkish, the devil's bolete (Rubroboletus satanas) is called Şeytan mantarı; other local names include şeytan çöreği and zehirli çörek mantarı.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources

  1. Kretz ve ark. (1991), Toxicology: Boletus satanas'tan bolesatin toksik proteini pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Wikipedia (EN): Rubroboletus satanas en.wikipedia.org
  3. First Nature: Rubroboletus satanas first-nature.com
All sources (5)
  1. GBIF: Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  2. iNaturalist: Türkiye gözlemleri inaturalist.org
Photo credits (8)