A brilliantly gross image of a fly infected by the endoparasitoid fungus cordyceps.
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) March 27, 2023
The fungus keeps the host alive as long as possible and directs the animal to climb to a prominent exposed perch where spores are released
[📷 Faiz Bustamente: https://t.co/EDHxxrxHb5] pic.twitter.com/eI1ktjznpv
As a macro photographer in Singapore, Faiz Bustamente captured this picture of a fly with empty eye sockets, and a mysterious substance growing out of it. The photographer believes that a deadly fungus named Cordyceps had infected the fly.
Cordyceps is as creepy as it looks—maybe even more so. Different species of Cordyceps prefer different hosts, but generally, they invade the bodies of insects, especially ants, causing them to act in a way some call zombie-like. The fungus forces its host to climb up to the top of a plant, clamp down onto it to steady itself, and wait to die. Then, the fungus slowly emerges through the bug’s exoskeleton, forming a stalk up through the top of the dead animal. The stalk rains spores down on insects below, starting the process all over again. Newsweek
