Number of Species: Approximately 9 to 30 species.
Toxins: Paecilotoxins, byssochlamic acid, variotin, ferrirubin, viriditoxin, indole-3-acetic acid, fusigen and patulin.

Paecilomyces is a saprophyte that is commonly found among dead plants and compost. It is also known to cause the decomposition of food items. The fungi are thermotolerant to thermophilic and are often found in warm climates and arid regions. This opportunistic pathogen has been known to cause mycoses in animals such as dogs and cattle, but is rarely a human pathogen. The only cases reported have dealt with Keratitis, endocarditis, peritonitis, and pneumonia in immunocompromised patients.