Fake eight-legged zombies.
Back in March I read this article about an Ecuadorian spider that mimics the infection of a Gibellula fungus, also known as the zombie fungus because it takes over control of insects body forcing them to climb and find the best spot to anchor it host firmly before the bloom of the fungi to best release spores. Sounds like a plot of a horror movie of an alien-like agent infecting creatures.
But why would a creature want to imitate such a terrible outcome?
Researches have reported seen ants carrying infected fellows as faraway as they can before the fungus bloom to prevent a the extermination of their colony. The Gibellula takes over ants, grasshoppers, spiders or any insect that gets in contact with the spores… But this spider saw an opportunity in the fear.
The finding was registered by Dr. Gustavo Hormiga, an arachnologist (spider researcher) and professor at George Washington University. Despite his name, Dr. Hormiga (translates to “Doctor Ant” in Spanish), has dedicated his career to studying spiders rather than insects.
Dr. Hormiga explained in the article that those spiders might have developed that terrifying technique of mimicking zombie fungi as an advantage to allow the, to get get close to the prey before attaching. This because once the fungus blooms, the insect becomes just a dead shell.
Crazy (or very clever) amazonian spiders wearing fungus hats! 🤯
Have fun, enjoy your weekend, and watch out for zombies!
See you next week!
Sunday Sketchbook 