#zombieants — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

#funfact | Some fungi create #zombie ants. Yes, you read that right: zombie #ants! The fungus responsible is the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, found deep in the #Amazon rainforest. This sinister #parasite infects the carpenter ant, growing through its body before eventually taking over its brain. It then compels the poor, hijacked #insect to leave its nest and climb to a nearby #plant – which just so happens to be in the perfect environmental conditions for fungus #growth.

Here, over a number of days, it consumes the ant’s innards and sends a long #stalk through its head, growing into a capsule of #spores. These rain down on other unsuspecting victims, continuing the grim #cycle.
 #funfacts #fungifacts #fungi #ants #zombieants #mushrooms #plants #MushroomsOfMastodon #mastodon #MastoArt #fungikingdom #fungioftheday #bracket #mushroom #nature #mycodon #mosstodon #mycology #fungiverse #fungus #nature #mastodonmushroom