The fungus spreads by releasing particles from this stalk!
NICKY BAY
This Ant is Really a Zombie!
How a type of fungus controls an ant's body
By Dani Leviss
From the October/November 2023 Issue
Key Focus Area:
Adaptations,
Other Focus Areas: Structure & Function; Numbers & Operations
Standards
parasite
an organism that lives on or inside other organisms, harming them
fungus
a living thing that’s neither a plant nor an animal
In movies, zombies are imaginary monsters. They rise from the dead and wander the streets, guided by forces outside their control. But in nature, zombie-like infections are real!
A parasite took control of this ant’s body. Parasites live on or inside other organisms, harming them. Once infected, the ant stopped eating. It climbed to a high branch and bit down, clamping in place until it died.
The parasite in this ant was a fungus, a living thing that’s neither a plant nor an animal. The fungus grows inside ants and makes them act in ways that help the fungus survive.
Soon, a brown stalk sprouted from the ant’s dead body. It released particles into the wind to help the fungus reproduce. An ant crawling below might be its next victim!
Text-to-Speech