Joao Fungo
Fifteen newly discovered fungi can all control the brains of ants in cruel and unusual ways in the moments before killing them.
Zombie ant fungi are parasites, mostly found in tropical forests. The fungus first infects an ant using spores. Once inside its host, the fungus alters the ant’s behaviour in ways that favour its own reproduction. It often compels the ant to seek a place other ants are likely to pass. The fungus then sprouts a long stalk, sometimes right through the back of the …