Habitat: A wide variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, and mossy lawns.

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Hygrocybe miniata is one of a large number of small red hygrocybes. It is distinguished from the others by having a dry, convex to plane, hygrophanous cap beset with small scales (check with a handlens), reddish to yellow, broadly attached to slightly decurrent gills, reddish stipe, and bean-, corn-, or pear-shaped spores. Even using these features, it can be difficult to sort the many similar species out and many mycologists consider various of them to be synonyms. These include H. mollis (Berkeley & Broome) M. M. Moser, H. moseri Bon, and H. strangulata (P. D. Orton) Svrcek.