🥺👇 They call it “zombie fungus” and honestly… It’s not even the weirdest part, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis infects ants and literally takes over their body. 🧠It hijacks the brain, makes them climb to the perfect height, and then kills them just to explode spores all over the forest floor. Sounds like a sci-fi film, right? But it’s real. So is Massospora, a fungus that infects cicadas, eats away at their body… while keeping them alive. They keep buzzing and mating, totally unaware their inside

The zombie fungus Ophiocordyceps manipulates insects with remarkable precision. #historyfacts #didyouknow #facts #nature | The Curious Side

Ophiocordyceps australis has a unique life strategy, this fungus is a parasite on ants. Fungi have evolved to occupy a wide variety of ecologically important niches, such as this mutualistic relationship with insects. Fungal parasites that manipulate the behavior of insect hosts are particularly intriguing. Our work entails capturing photographs of these remarkable fungi, for humanity to cherish, before the ecosystems that house them are destroyed. Encounters with tiny fungi like this Ophiocordy