Asheπββ¬πcelebrating a bit of a spooky #FungiFriday with this naturally occurring horror well within comprehension :3
#fungi #sporespondence #parasite #zombiefungus #moth #insects #NaturePhotography #photography #spooky
llewellytoday I learned:
some cicadas have symbiotic gut fungus (yes, fungi, not bacteria) that make amino acides for them. These fungi are related to the infamous "zombie" cordyceps fungi.
some cicadas in N. America have gone extinct in recent times, some without having their songs recorded
https://arthro-pod.blogspot.com/2024/04/arthro-pod-ep-157-cicadas-of-north.html
The podcast arthropod did an interview with Alie Kratzer, author of the upcoming book _The Cicadas of North America_
Alex WildThe zombie fungus, having manipulated its ant host to bite into a leaf of the right height, kills the animal, consumes it, and overflows through the joints.
(Ophiocordyceps on Camponotus atriceps, Peru).
