Fly Amanita

Description:

The classic toadstool mushroom with a bright red to orange cap with white warts than can be washed or picked off. The stipe (or stem) is white with an annulus present, and the gills are also white. The dry specimens still standing developed an almost metallic sheen, as seen in the last two photos.
This is the first time I have seen these in Kodiak, despite several years of being here at this time and even looking in the same locations. They were all over the island this year with many local people taking note. Perhaps the conditions were better this year because we had a very dry summer and a very wet fall. They were producing new fruiting bodies well into November, despite the cooler temperatures.

Habitat:

Grassy patch under Sitka Spruce in a residential area near some peppery boletes (Chalciporus piperatus) and Saffron Milkcaps (Lactarius deliciosus var. olivaceosordidus)

Notes:

This species is ectomycorrhizal, meaning it forms symbiotic relationships with the outsides of the roots of plants (usually trees)... in this case spruce. Both the tree and the fungus benefit from this association.