Video of fungus that takes control of insects and kills them

[rcrush]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/331826/ant_fungus/


This is the victim of the parasitic fungus Hirsutella. The spores will land on the ant, begin to grow inside of it and eventually make interface with the ants brain. It will then control the ant to climb up branches, lock its jaws in to the wood and erupt from the ants body to release more spores.

[NJmaverick]

1. Geez!! That sounds like something out of Science Fiction movie

:crazy:

[Swede]

2. Oh yuck!

Sounds like Alien.

[pokerfan]

5. Mother Nature is a mad scientist, Jerry!

Spider wasps are long-legged, solitary wasps that use a single spider as a host for feeding their larvae. They paralyze the spider with a venomous stinger. Once paralyzed, the spider is dragged to where a nest will be built – some wasps having already made a nest.

A single egg is laid on the abdomen of the spider, and the nest – or burrow – is closed.

The size of the host can influence whether the wasp will lay an egg that will develop as a male, or an egg that will develop into a female – larger prey yielding the (larger) females. A complex set of adult behavior can then occur, such as spreading dirt or inspecting the area, leaving the nest site inconspicuous. When the wasp larva hatches it begins to feed on the still-living spider.

[Symarip]

3. Hm

Reminds me of my exwife.

[Callalily]

4. Sheesh! Talk about

symbiosis!

You must admit, it is a cool picture.