Found in: Soils, decaying organic matter, plant debris, and as an agricultural contaminant. Indoors, it requires extremely wet conditions.
Appearance: Compact and moist colonies, often white, gray, or rose-colored, with a cottony texture.
Health Effects: Can cause allergies and produce toxins. Associated with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and various infections.

Found in: Outdoor air, carpets, textiles, window frames, soil, seeds, and plants.
Appearance: Rapidly growing colonies, initially grayish-white, turning greenish-black or olive-brown with a light border. Dry spores easily become airborne.
Health Effects: Common allergen linked to hypersensitivity pneumonia, respiratory issues, skin sores, and nail infections.

Found in: Dead plants, especially grasses. Often isolated from air near grassy places in autumn.
Appearance: Rapidly growing, woolly or cottony colonies, white with brown spots.
Health Effects: Generally not considered a significant health risk, with only one species known to be allergenic.

Found in: Various environments, including damp indoor materials.
Appearance: Highly variable in size and shape.
Health Effects: Some can be allergens or opportunistic pathogens.

Found in: Textiles, organic materials, soil, plant debris, water-damaged building materials, and often in water-damaged carpet.
Appearance: Woolly or cottony texture, with shades of green, brown, or black. Spores are similar to Penicillium.
Health Effects: Can cause aspergillosis, especially in individuals with weakened immune systems. Many species produce mycotoxins, some of which are carcinogenic.

Found in: Moist indoor areas like bathrooms and kitchens, shower curtains, window sills, and textiles.
Appearance: Yeast-like, starting cream or pink, and turning dark brown with age.
Health Effects: Common allergen, causing Type I allergies and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Found in: Plant debris, grasses, soil, and semi-dry environments.
Appearance: Rapidly growing colonies, initially white to grayish-brown, turning olive green to black.
Health Effects: Can produce mycotoxins, causing liver and kidney damage. Associated with phaeohyphomycosis and allergic fungal sinusitis.

Found in: Outdoor agricultural areas.
Appearance: Distinctive spores, not easily confused with other types.
Health Effects: Produces no known toxins.

Found in: Outdoor air, dead plants, food, paint, textiles, and dirty refrigerators.
Appearance: Relatively slow-growing, powdery or velvety olive-green to olive-brown colonies.
Health Effects: Common cause of hay fever and asthma.

Found in: Plant debris, soil, and stored grains.
Appearance: Rapidly growing, woolly colonies, initially white to pinkish-gray, turning olive brown or black.
Health Effects: Allergenic and can cause corneal infections, mycetoma, and infections in immunocompromised individuals.

Found in: Terrestrial and freshwater habitats.
Appearance: Dark brown, green-black, or black colonies.
Health Effects: No information available on allergenicity or toxicity.

Found in: Plant debris, soil, and various indoor substances in tropical and subtropical areas.
Appearance: Rapidly growing colonies, initially white, becoming olive brown to black.
Health Effects: One of the most common allergenic molds. Can also produce toxins.

Found in: Plants, soil, grains, textiles, paper products, and house dust.
Appearance: Rapidly growing, woolly colonies, initially yellow, orange, or red, turning greenish-brown to black.
Health Effects: Allergen associated with respiratory issues.

Found in: Stored seeds, textiles, leather, and furniture.
Appearance: Whitish to bright yellow spherical fruiting bodies.
Health Effects: Closely related to Aspergillus in terms of health effects.

Found in: Soil, plants, grains, and humidifiers.
Appearance: Rapidly growing colonies with various colors, including white, tan, pink, and purple.
Health Effects: Allergenic and associated with eye, skin, and nail infections. Produces trichothecene toxins, which can affect various body systems.

Found in: Forested areas, bark, soil, and leaf litter. Occasionally found indoors.
Appearance: Not a true fungus, exhibiting characteristics of both protozoans and fungi.
Health Effects: Produces no known toxins.

Found in: Decaying plant material and soil, especially in warm climates.
Appearance: White, woolly colonies that turn gray and eventually black.
Health Effects: Allergenic, with rare cases of human infection.

Found in: Leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits of living plants.
Appearance: White powdery spots.
Health Effects: No information available on health effects, toxicity, or allergenicity.

Found in: Soil, food, cellulose, paint, grains, carpet, wallpaper, and fiberglass duct insulation.
Appearance: Rapidly growing colonies, initially white, turning blue-green, gray-green, or yellow.
Health Effects: Allergenic and can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Some species produce mycotoxins and carcinogens.

Found in: Soil, dead plant stems, and grasses. Rarely found indoors.
Appearance: Difficult to distinguish from other round, brown spore types.
Health Effects: Occasionally implicated in mycotic keratitis.

Found in: Leaves, stems, and bark of plants. Can grow on polyurethane.
Appearance: Gray spot or lesion on plants.
Health Effects: No information available on health effects, toxicity, or allergenicity.

Found in: Decaying plants, grasses, and soil. May grow on paper but is not prolific indoors.
Appearance: Tan to brown colonies.
Health Effects: Allergenic and can be pathogenic in animals, causing liver damage.

Found in: Leaves and dust. Not known to grow indoors.
Appearance: Not well known.
Health Effects: No information available on health effects, toxicity, or allergenicity.

Found in: Grasses, flowers, and trees. Do not grow indoors unless their host plants are present.
Appearance: Red, rusty, or orange spores.
Health Effects: Type I allergen.

Found in: Soil, decaying wood, drywall, wallpaper, and carpets.
Appearance: Moderately fast-growing colonies, initially white, becoming light brown or tan.
Health Effects: Very little is known about the health effects.

Found in: Corn, grass, and other plants. Not usually found indoors.
Appearance: Black, powdery spore masses.
Health Effects: Type I allergens.

Found in: Soil and dead plant material, especially in warm climates.
Appearance: Slow-growing, brownish-black to black colonies.
Health Effects: No mycotoxin production or pathogenicity in humans is reported. Allergenicity effects have not been studied.

Found in: Soil, damp wood, living or decomposing plants, and peat moss.
Appearance: At 25°C, colonies are moist, leathery to velvety, and white, becoming cream to dark brown. At 37°C, colonies are yeast-like and creamy.
Health Effects: Can cause sporotrichosis, a chronic fungal infection, primarily in immunocompromised individuals.

Found in: Soil, wood, decaying vegetation, and dust.
Appearance: Rapidly growing colonies, velvety to cottony, gray, brown, or brownish-black.
Health Effects: Known Type I allergen.

Found in: Leaf bases and stems of plants and trees.
Appearance: Brownish colonies.
Health Effects: Rare cases of keratitis and subcutaneous infection reported.

Found in: Soil, dead wood, leaves, food, hay, textiles, and indoor cellulose-based materials.
Appearance: Light grayish-brown and powdery.
Health Effects: Type I allergen and a possible cause of hay fever and asthma.

Found in: Plant materials, soil, drywall, and other organic materials indoors.
Appearance: Moderately fast-growing colonies, olive-brown, rusty-brown, black, or grayish.
Health Effects: Major allergen, causing hay fever and asthma. Rarely causes subcutaneous infections.

Found in: Various habitats, including plant leaves, soil, salt water, and the skin and intestinal tracts of animals.
Appearance: Rapidly growing, smooth, and pasty colonies, typically white to cream-colored.
Health Effects: Can cause various infections, from skin lesions to systemic mycoses. Some yeasts are allergenic.

Found in: Soil or decaying plant and animal material.
Appearance: Common, fast-growing, and often overgrow other fungi.
Health Effects: Known allergens, produce toxins, and can cause adverse health effects.