BBurns
Loc: South Bay, California
tinusbum wrote:
fungus on dead bug
The infamous 'Zombie Fungus'.
Weird, yes. Unusual, no.
There are many fungal parasites of insects.
Cordyceps is one, which this may be.
Large fruiting bodies, bearing the spores.
Some fungal parasites control the infected insect's behavior.
As it reaches a point where it is ready to sporulate the fungus prompts the insect to accend a weed to the top, where it is breezy, clamp to the weed and go dormant.
If the fungus sporulates, the insect dies.
If conditions not right, insect revives and lives one more day, when the same scene is reenacted. It will continue until the fungus spreads spores.
Bill
tinusbum wrote:
fungus on dead bug
I meant my reply to be direct, but I misdirected.
Parasites rule the world.
For good or bad, no living organism is immune to them.
Bill
newtoyou wrote:
I meant my reply to be direct, but I misdirected.
Parasites rule the world.
For good or bad, no living organism is immune to them.
Bill
thats a cheerful thought 🐜
A pretty cool find. Reminds me of this cartoon.
I do believe in aliens...I do believe in aliens. Body Snatchers are real.
Just when I thought you had climbed to the pinnacle of weirdness you come up with this. I shouldn't stand still for too long if I were you. I have seen fungus on flies but not growth to this extent, good shot and good find. Keep 'em coming.
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