Ever heard of Cordyceps fungus? It’s a fungus that attacks insects, infiltrating their body and brain — driving them mad. Eventually, it kills the insect, eats it and then violently breaks through its body near the head in tentacle forms, dispersing spores to infect any other insects that dare come close.
My buddy John posted the scoop on this one over at One Man’s Blog — it’s interesting in so many ways. This fungus takes control of rudimentary motor functions, disorienting the insects and forcing them to walk upwards — like a puppet master. Another interested point noted in the video below, is that the Bullet ants realize the danger and move the infected as far away from their colonies as possible.
I did some more research on this interesting fungi, and according to Wikipedia, this specific species of Cordyceps is called Cordyceps sinensis. The image at the top of this post is of dried up specimens.
Cordyceps sinensis is a species of southeast, mountainous China that attacks caterpillars, specifically the larvae of hepialid moths (identified as species of Hepialus or Thitarodes). The caterpillars feed on the roots of trees and shrubs on the slopes of the Himalayas. When infected by C. sinensis, the fungus mycelium fills the entire body cavity, killing the host, and the caterpillars die near the tops of their burrows. A dark brown, finger-like stroma sprouts near their heads.
I’m tagging this post under aesthetics — because the complexity, shape and biology of this fungus is close to poetic. The video below is also very well edited; a BBC documentary with a dramatic but appropriate soundtrack to enhance the experience. Beware, it might make your skin crawl.