 The mushroom was found buried with up to two-thirds of the stem in sandy soil near several shrubs (Fabaceae subfamily Mimosoideae and others) in a semi-arid region, after heavy precipitation. The species is known only from the type locality in Vale do Catimbau National Park in Brazil, in the state of Pernambuco. It fruits at an elevation of 900 to 1,000 m (3,000 to 3,300 ft). This is part of the biodiverse cerrado ecoregion, in an area known as the campos rupestres. Although the fungus is suspected to be mycorrhizal (like all Lactarius), there was a wide diversity of plant species growing in the open, dry forest where the mushroom was found (including members of the tree families Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Nyctaginaceae, and Polygonaceae — all known to form mycorrhizal associations), so the authors did not speculate on any specific interactions.
