The biometric and molecular data supporting the separation of the new taxon Lactarius rubrozonatus from L. sanguifluus are discussed. The results of a multidisciplinary examination led to separate two close taxa growing sympatrically in symbiotic association with two-needle pines. Even though, morphologically, the only reliable separating characters were pileal zonation and spore size, the autonomy of the new taxon was supported by ITS sequences and the stop of genetic flux in five allozymes. The new taxon, which was previously referred to as L. vinosus, was renamed L. rubrozonatus because the older epithet was illegitimate.