Cordyceps is a genus of fungi that includes over 260 species worldwide, many of which are parasitic.
All these species make their homes inside the bodies of others (mostly insects), but not all of them are mind and body snatchers. One of them, Cordyceps subsessilis, is actually used for medicinal purposes.
That’s not the case with Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, however, which is commonly known as zombie-ant fungus.
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And in footage captured for the BBC’s Planet Earth, David Attenborough narrates a challenging time for one colony of ants. Some of them start showing worrying symptoms – their bodies and minds have been infiltrated by cordyceps.
The ant’s infected brain directs it to climb up and grip a stem. This is the perfect position for the spores to grow.
Fortunately, the other ants discover the infected ant and quickly carry it far away from the colony. It seems extreme, but once the deadly spores burst, any ant in the vicinity is at serious risk of death.
Cordyceps can wipe out entire colonies of ants – so once one is infected, it’s a race for the remaining ants to ensure the colony’s safety.
Top image: a cordyceps fungus on an ant. Credit: Jojo Dexter/Getty Images
