sciencesourceimages: Beware The Zombie Maker! The insects above were all killed by a predatory speci

sciencesourceimages: Beware The Zombie Maker! The insects above were all killed by a predatory species of fungi common in the forests of the upper Amazon basin. This fungi’s name, Cordyceps, is derived from the Latin words cord, meaning “club”, and ceps, meaning “head”.  SEE GRISLY PHOTOS OF THESE “ZOMBIE” INSECTS Specific types of Cordyceps, that infect ants and flies, can control their behavior and turn these hosts into Zombies. The fungus takes control of the ant or fly, making it climb to the highest place possible before it dies. When the fungus finally kills the invertebrate host, one or more fruiting bodies sprout from the invertebrate’s exoskeleton. Having died in this elevated position, where wind speeds are greater, the spores are more easily swept away to infect new hosts. Marks have been found on fossilized leaves suggesting that this ability to modify the host’s behavior evolved more than 48 million years ago. Images above © Dr. Morley Read / Science Source Visit our website: www.ScienceSource.com -- source link

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