Scarlet Caterpillar Club

Overview

Bright orange-red club arising from a buried moth or butterfly pupa (Lepidoptera). Widespread across North America in mossy forest, lawn edges, and woodland soil — Jul–Oct. Adenosine and cordycepin source; cultivated commercially as a medicinal mushroom. Look for the orange finger sticking out of moss or duff, then dig gently to expose the mummified host pupa — the diagnostic confirmation.

Season

Jul–Oct — typical fruiting months: Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.

Host trees & substrate

• Buried lepidopteran pupae in moss/duff

Where it grows

• Appalachian Highlands
• Northeast
• Upper Midwest / Great Lakes
• Southeast Coastal Plain
• Pacific Northwest
• Rocky Mountains
• Sierra Nevada & Nor-Cal
• Great Plains
• Desert Southwest
• Texas