Lobster mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum) is not, in the truest sense of the word, actually a mushroom. It is a parasitic ascomycete that grows on mushrooms, turning them a reddish orange color that resembles the outer shell of a cooked lobster. It colonizes members of the genera Lactarius (Milk-caps) and Russula, such as Russula brevipes and Lactarius piperatus in North America. At maturity, H. lactifluorum thoroughly covers its host, rendering it unidentifiable. Lobster mushrooms are widely eaten and enjoyed; they are commercially marketed and are commonly found in some large grocery stores. They have a seafood-like flavor and a firm, dense texture. According to some, they may taste somewhat spicy Another way to think about mushrooms is to call them the "flowers" of an organism that lives underground. In your case, a common fungus has been feeding on organic debris underground. The lack of rain gave it no opportunity to send up occasional small mushrooms, so it simply waited for the right conditions. The soaking rain signaled an explosion of growth aboveground - resulting in the mushrooms you found. They will release fungus spores, but since other spores are naturally found all over your neighborhood, you won't prevent future mushrooms. Most people just pick them and put them on the compost pile.
if the host mushroom is an acrid Lactarius.
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Another way to think about mushrooms is to call them the "flowers" of an organism that lives underground. In your case, a common fungus has been feeding on organic debris underground. The lack of rain gave it no opportunity to send up occasional small mushrooms, so it simply waited for the right conditions. The soaking rain signaled an explosion of growth aboveground - resulting in the mushrooms you found. They will release fungus spores, but since other spores are naturally found all over your neighborhood, you won't prevent future mushrooms. Most people just pick them and put them on the compost pile.
