Zombie Ants Found In Brazil

A stalk of the newfound fungus species Ophiocordyceps camponoti-balzani, grows out of a "zombie" ant's head in a Brazilian rain forest.

Originally thought to be a single species, called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, the fungus is actually four distinct species?all of which can "mind control" ants?scientists announced Wednesday.

The fungus species can infect an ant, take over its brain, and then kill the insect once it moves to a location ideal for the fungi to grow and spread their spores.National Geographic

The above is only an excerpt, so take some sauce with it, dawg.

Brazil is in South America, guys.

[quote="National Geographic"]A stalk of the newfound fungus species Ophiocordyceps camponoti-balzani, grows out of a "zombie" ant's head in a Brazilian rain forest.

Originally thought to be a single species, called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, the fungus is actually four distinct species?all of which can "mind control" ants?scientists announced Wednesday.

The fungus species can infect an ant, take over its brain, and then kill the insect once it moves to a location ideal for the fungi to grow and spread their spores.Hexagon_777

The above is only an excerpt, so take some sauce with it, dawg.

Brazil is in South America, guys.

So old.

So old.

Necrifer

They were shown in Discovery Channel's Planet Earth. Pretty cool.

What's better is that there is another fungus that kills the zombie fungus, saving most of the ant colony's.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/science/zombie-ant-fungus-has-its-own-killer-fungus.html

seen it

I remember watching something on that ages ago. All the non-infected ants would detect an infected one and isolate them and such. I thought it was pretty cool.

They were shown in Discovery Channel's Planet Earth. Pretty cool.

What's better is that there is another fungus that kills the zombie fungus, saving most of the ant colony's.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/science/zombie-ant-fungus-has-its-own-killer-fungus.html

jimkabrhel

Oh, nature.

You're entirely too convoluted.

I wish this whole zombie news fad would end, i'm bored of seeing the word zombie in every title related to a slightly odd news story online.

[quote="National Geographic"]A stalk of the newfound fungus species Ophiocordyceps camponoti-balzani, grows out of a "zombie" ant's head in a Brazilian rain forest.

Originally thought to be a single species, called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, the fungus is actually four distinct species?all of which can "mind control" ants?scientists announced Wednesday.

The fungus species can infect an ant, take over its brain, and then kill the insect once it moves to a location ideal for the fungi to grow and spread their spores.Hexagon_777

The above is only an excerpt, so take some sauce with it, dawg.

Brazil is in South America, guys.

I saw this in the PLANET EARTH series.

An ant eats some fungus. After a couple days, the fungus drives the ant insane and then kills it - as the fugus grows inside the ants head and eventually breaks through it's skull.

In the series, other ants in the colony recognize the crazy ant and actually haul it off away from the ant farm/hole so it doesn't hurt any other ants. They dump it somewhere far away and then it just dies on it's own as the fungus keeps expanding inside it's head.

Kinda depressing actually...

/sniff sniff

poor poor ant

I remember watching something on that ages ago. All the non-infected ants would detect an infected one and isolate them and such. I thought it was pretty cool.

sune_Gem

[QUOTE="sune_Gem"]

I remember watching something on that ages ago. All the non-infected ants would detect an infected one and isolate them and such. I thought it was pretty cool.

Hexagon_777

It was ages since I seen it, but not that I recall. The infected ant just started acting funky so the others took it away.

[QUOTE="Hexagon_777"]

[quote="National Geographic"]A stalk of the newfound fungus species Ophiocordyceps camponoti-balzani, grows out of a "zombie" ant's head in a Brazilian rain forest.

Originally thought to be a single species, called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, the fungus is actually four distinct species?all of which can "mind control" ants?scientists announced Wednesday.

The fungus species can infect an ant, take over its brain, and then kill the insect once it moves to a location ideal for the fungi to grow and spread their spores.Netherscourge

The above is only an excerpt, so take some sauce with it, dawg.

Brazil is in South America, guys.

I saw this in the PLANET EARTH series.

An ant eats some fungus. After a couple days, the fungus drives the ant insane and then kills it - as the fugus grows inside the ants head and eventually breaks through it's skull.

In the series, other ants in the colony recognize the crazy ant and actually haul it off away from the ant farm/hole so it doesn't hurt any other ants. They dump it somewhere far away and then it just dies on it's own as the fungus keeps expanding inside it's head.

Kinda depressing actually...

/sniff sniff

poor poor ant

When will it start affecting humans?

Hexagon_777

Never.

T-virus incomming !!