The Top Forty – Moulds from Air and Buildings (USB)
$61
This USB brings together detailed information and photomicrographic illustrations of the fungi that produce well over 90% of the spores caught in spore traps, and picked up on tape-lifts. Although hundreds if not thousands of different fungi are present in the air, the number found in buildings is much smaller. Most of these fungi are called moulds, because they tend to be identifiable only under the microscope, and do not have recognizable fruit bodies large enough to be seen by the naked eye. They are mostly asexual phases (anamorphs) of ascomycetes, but some are the sexual phases (teleomorphs) of ascomycetes, some are basidiomycetes (sexual or asexual), and some are anamorphs of zygomycetes.
This USB will give analysts everything they need to identify most of the genera they will encounter in IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) situations, though ascospores and basidiospores are left as general categories. There are:
(1) a polychotomous key to genera and other categories. Warning: this key may ask questions you can't answer, or call for data that is not available – that is a failing of this kind of key. If the key doesn't work for you, look at the pictures.
(2) descriptive text and clear photomicrographic illustrations derived from spore traps, tape-lifts or sometimes, cultures.
(3) a comprehensive glossary to help you understand the many specialized mycological terms we need to use.
(4) a discussion of sampling methods.
