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Mould Types

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | M | N | P | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y

A

Acremonium, also known as Cephalosporium, is a widespread fungus, usually found in soil and dead plants. It requires very wet conditions for growth.

Acrodontium salmoneum is considered a common air-borne fungus.

Alternaria is an extremely widespread fungus and one of the most common in the world. It is usually found on plants, soil, and food. Indoors, it can be found in carpets, textiles, window frames, and the atmosphere.

Aphanoascus fulvescens is usually found in soil, feces, animal skin, birds’ nests, and feathers. It has been reported in skin infections.

Apophysomyces elegans is widespread in soil and vegetation.

Arthrinium phaeospermum is common on soil and decomposing vegetation. It is rarely found indoors.

Arthrographis is usually found in soil, compost, and dead vegetation.

Arthrographis kalrae is the most significant species to affect humans.

Ascospores refer to a large group of fungi comprising over 3000 species produced in a sac-like structure. They are found almost everywhere in nature and some species grow indoors on moist or damp substances.

Aspergillus is one of the most common types of fungi in the world and comprises over 185 species. It is important to the environment and for the recycling of organic material.

Aspergillus flavus is usually found in soil and decaying plants.

Aspergillus fumigatus grows almost anywhere and on any type of substance.

Aspergillums niger is usually found in soil, fruits, and vegetables.

Aspergillums vesicular usually grows on soil, plants, and dairy products and is frequently found indoors, particularly on water-damaged building materials.

Aureobasidium pullulans is the best known species of the Aureobasidium group and has a worldwide distribution. It is very common in moist environments and usually grows on plant debris, soil, fruit, and wood.

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B

Basidiobolus is a fungus usually found in decaying plants, feces, and soil.

Basidiomycetes refer to a major class of fungi that includes mushrooms, puffballs, and shelf fungi and is comprised of over 30,000 species. It includes edible mushrooms used in everyday cooking.

Beauveria is a group of fungi usually found outdoors growing on soil, plant debris and dung.

Basidiospores are moisture driven and mainly found in gardens, forests, and woodlands.

Bipolaris is a large group of fungi, which appears both indoors and outdoors. It is usually found in plants, decaying food, and soil.

Bipolaris australiensis is usually found in soil, plants, and grasses in particular.

Bipolaris cynodontis is most frequently found on Bermuda grass.

Bipolaris hawaiiensis is a widespread fungus most frequently associated with grasses, plant material, and soil.

Bipolaris spicifera is closely related to Drechslera, Curvularia, and Exserohilum. It is usually found in plants and soil.

Blastomyces, or Blastomyces dermatitidis, is typically found in decaying wood, soil, feces, and dust.

Blastoschizomyces is a yeast, usually found in soil, sand, and skin as well as in the human respiratory and digestive tracts.

Botrytis, also commonly referred to as grey mould, is a parasite found growing on fruits and plants, both indoors and outdoors. It is identified as leaf rot on grapes, strawberries, lettuce, cabbage, and onions.

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C

Candida albicans is a yeast, typically found in human and animal feces, polluted water, soil, atmospere, and plants. Its spores are considered a normal part of flora of the mouth and digestive tract.

Candida ciferrii is a yeast, usually found in soil, wood, and farm animals.

Candida glabrata is a yeast, usually found in humans, animals, and fruits and vegetables. It is one of the most common yeast species to be found on the body and is often isolated from skin and urine.

Candida guilliermondii is a yeast, usually found in animal feces, plants, sea water, buttermilk, leather, fish, and beer.

Candida kefyr is a yeast, usually found in foods such as grains, cheese and other dairy products.

Candida krusei is a yeast, usually found in soil, dairy products, beer, skin, feces of animals and birds, and pickle brine.

Candida lambica is a yeast, usually found in dairy products, fruits, water, birds, and humans.

Candida lipolytica is a yeast, usually found in animals, hydrocarbons, and foods such as corn and olives.

Candida lusitaniae is a yeast, commonly found in cornmeal, citrus fruits, fruit juices, and sometimes milk.

Candida parapsilosis is a yeast, typically found in oceanic water, pickle brine, cured meats, olives, feces, and human skin.

Candida rugosa is a yeast, usually found in dairy products, feces, seawater and insects.

Candida tropicalis is a yeast, usually found in humans as part of the normal human flora. It is also found in soil, feces, water, and fruit.

Candida zeylanoides is a yeast, usually found in soil, water, and foods such as meat and fish. The Candida group is the most common cause of opportunistic mycoses in the world.

Cephalosporium – see Acremonium

Cercospora is found on leaves of plants.

Chaetomium atrobrunneum is usually found in soil, air, and plants.

Chaetomium globosum is the most common species of the Chaetomium group, usually found in soil, air, plant debris, dung, straw, paper, bird feathers, and seeds.

Chaetomium strumarium is usually found in soil, seeds, dung, cellulose, and plant debris. Indoors, it is frequently found on damp sheetrock paper.

Chrysosporium is a common group of fungi usually found in soil, plants, dung, sandboxes, seeds, and bird nests.

Cladophialophora bantiana is commonly found growing in soil and decaying plants.

Cladophialophora carrionii is usually found in soil and wooden fence posts made from Eucalyptus.

The Cladosporium group of fungi is one of the most common and widespread species of fungi in the world. The number drops in winter and rises in summer. It is usually found growing on dead plants, woody plants, food, straw, soil, paints, and textiles. Often found indoors.

Cladosporium cladosporioides is a common household mould that is frequently found on damp walls, window frames, ceilings, and around showers and tubs.

Cladosporium fulvum usually grows on textiles, wood, window sills, as well as refrigerated foods.

Cladosporium herbarum is a widespread fungus that is often the most prominent species of mould found in the air. Frequently, it grows on dead plants and wood, paper, rubber, and food.

Cladosporium macrocarpum is usually found in soil, dead plants, and air, and seeds.

Cladosporium sphaerospermum this species grows on a variety of substances including drywall, painted walls, carpets, wallpaper, and textiles.

Conidiobolus commonly grows in soil and decaying leaves.

Cryptostroma corticale is usually found on the bark of maple and sycamore trees as well as on logs.

Cunninghamella are typically found growing in the soil of Mediterranean regions.

Curvularia is a plant parasite that is usually found outdoors on plants and soil and indoors on a variety of substances.

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D

Drechslera is usually found growing on grass, soil, plants, and decaying food.

E

Emericella nidulans are part of the Emericella group, which comprises the anamorphs of the Aspergillus species in its sexual state. They are most closely related to the Eurotium group. Typically found in soil seed, and vegetables.

Emericella rugulosa most closely related to the Eurotium group. A relatively uncommon species mostly found in soil.

Epicoccum is common indoors and outdoors usually found in soil, air, water, and rotting food.

Epidermophyton may cause skin and nail infections believed to be the cause of Athletes Foot.

Eurotium amstelodami is usually found in soil. Indoors, it frequently appears in floor, carpet and mattress dust as well as fabrics and shoes.

Eurotium chevalieri is usually found in soil, cotton, seeds, leather goods, and other dried goods.

Eurotium rubrum is a species of fungi comprising the sexual states of the Aspergillus species and is closely related to the Emericella group. It is a common fungus, usually growing on furniture, leather, and textile.

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F

Fusarium are usually found in plants and soil and require very wet conditions for growth. For this reason, they are often found in humidifiers.

G

Geotrichum are common yeast-like fungi usually found on fruits, milk products, soil and plants. They also comprise part of the normal flora in the human body.

Gliocladium resembles Penicillium and is most frequently found in decaying vegetation and soil.

H

Helminthosporium is a rare fungus that grows on the dead stems of some plants as well as the branches of trees.

Histoplasma is typically found in nature, in the feces of birds and bats.

Humicola are usually found on objects with a high cellulose content as well as in soil and plants.

Hyaline fungi are moulds that produce white or transparent hyphae.

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M

Memnoniella grows on soil, plants, and trees. Found most often on wet cellulose.

Monilia, also referred to as Chrysonilia, is a very common fungus in the United States, particularly in the East and South-East parts. It usually grows in soil and bread.

Mucor is usually found indoors on foods, soft fruits, and juices. It is common to find some spores in normal house dust. In the outdoors, it grows in soil, dead plants, dung, and organic materials.

N

Nigrospora is usually found in decaying plant material and soil. It is rarely found indoors.

P

Paecilomyces is a nematophagous fungus which kills harmful nematodes by pathogenesis, or causing disease in the nematodes. This fungas can be used as a bio-nematicide to control nematodes by applying it to soil. Nematodes are crop pests.

Papulospora is commonly found in soil, textiles, decaying plants, manure, and paper products.

Penicillium is one of the most common fungi worldwide and is chiefly found on moist nonliving organic matter.

Phoma is a genus of common coelomycetous soil fungi. It can be found indoors on painted walls, cement, rubber, and butter.

Pithomyces grows on decaying wood, soil, and plant materials. It rarely grows indoors. The presence of these spores in indoor samples normally indicates infiltration of outdoor air.

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R

Rhizomucor is typically found in soil and decaying fruits and vegetables as well as compost. Texture resembles cotton. At first white, with time it turns grey and yellowish-brown.

Rhizopus is found both indoors on rotting food and outdoors in soil, decaying fruits and vegetables, compost, animal feces, and cotton.

Rhodotorula is a type of yeast usually found in moist environments such as soil, atmosphere and water. It usually grows on carpeting, cooling coils, and drain pans.

S

Saccharomyces is a group of yeasts, also commonly known as Baker's yeast. They are most commonly used in brewing and wine.

Scopulariopsis found worldwide in soil and decaying vegetation and often be found indoors on various materials.

Serpula lacrymans causes dry rot or brown rot of wood. The fungus is typically found on wood or in forests.

Sporobolomyces is a fungus typically found in air, tree leaves, plants, and rotting fruit and requires wet conditions for growth.

Sporothrix is a fungus most commonly found in soil, wood, and decomposing material.

Sporotrichum is a rare fungus that is most commonly found in soil and decaying wood. The main species is Sporotrichum pruinosum and is most closely related to Chrysosporium.

Stachybotrys also known as Black mould is usually found indoors in both air and other surfaces. It is a slow-growing fungus that typically grows on building material with a high cellulose content and requires high water activity levels to grow.

Stemphylium is usually found in soil, dead or decaying plants, and cellulose, but rarely grows indoors. It is frequently confused with Ulocladium.

Syncephalastrum is commonly found in soil and animal feces in tropical and sub-tropical environments.

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T

Trichoderma is usually found in soil, dead trees, pine needles, tree bark, paper, and unglazed ceramics.

Trichophyton is a large group of fungi that is most widely known for causing of ringworm and athlete's foot. It is typically found on soil and human and/or animal skin.

Trichothecium is a common fungus, usually found in decomposing vegetation, soil, seeds, and flour. It has also been frequently identified growing on indoor surfaces.

Tritirachium is a common fungus, often found in soil and decaying plants. It is related to Beauveria and Engyodontium. Tritirachium can cause corneal ulcers.

U

Ulocladium is usually found in dead plants, soil, wood, textiles, feces, and paint. Indoors, it is widespread, growing on tapestries, gypsum board, paper, paint, and straw materials.

V

Verticillium is a common fungus usually found on decaying plants, straw, and soil. It is most closely related to Acremonium and Tritirachium.

W

Wallemia is usually found in sugary foods, salted meats, dairy products, fruits, textiles, soil, and hay.

Y

Yeast refers to a group of unicellular fungi scientifically known as Candida. There are more than 150 different species of Candida, but some are more common than others.

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