Ophiocordyceps unilateralis: zombie-ant fungus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis

by Towaway69 • 3 years ago

2 2 3 years ago

en.wikipedia.org

Towaway69• 3 years ago

Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as zombie-ant fungus,[2] is an insect-pathogenic fungus, discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859, and currently found predominantly in tropical forest ecosystems. O. unilateralis infects ants of the tribe Camponotini, with the full pathogenesis being characterized by alteration of the behavioral patterns of the infected ant. Infected hosts leave their canopy nests and foraging trails for the forest floor, an area with a temperature and humidity suitable for fungal growth; they then use their mandibles to attach themselves to a major vein on the underside of a leaf, where the host remains after its eventual death.[3] The process, leading up to mortality, takes 4–10 days, and includes a reproductive stage where fruiting bodies grow from the ant's head, rupturing to release the fungus's spores. O. unilateralis is, in turn, also susceptible to fungal infection itself, an occurrence that can limit its impact on ant populations, which has otherwise been known to devastate ant colonies.

theGeatZhopa• 3 years ago

As shown in TloU, stay away from cordyceps. Bomb everything. Always aim for the head of the infected. Keep away from other humans as they might be infected or worse.

Fascinating.

Ophiocordyceps unilateralis: zombie-ant fungus

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