Parasitic flies turn fire ants into zombies

[Raiden]

It appears that fire ants aren't the only ants susceptive to becoming zombies.

Zombie ants controlled by fungus

Parasite manipulates infected ants into dying where fungus prefers to be

In a bizarre parasitic death sentence, a fungus turns carpenter ants into the walking dead and gets them to die in a spot that's perfect for the fungus to grow and reproduce.

Scientists have no clue how the fungus takes control of the brains of ants so effectively. But a new study in the September issue of the American Naturalist reveals an incredible set of strategies that ensue.

The carpenter ants nest high in the canopy of a forest in Thailand, and they trek to the forest floor to forage. The fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, prefers to end up on the undersides leaves sprouting from the northwest side of plants that grow on the forest floor, the new study showed. That's where temperature, humidity and sunlight are ideal for the fungus to grow and reproduce and infect more ants.

Once infected by the fungus, an ant is compelled to climb down from the canopy to the low leaves, where it clamps down with its mandibles just before it dies.

"The fungus accurately manipulates the infected ants into dying where the parasite prefers to be, by making the ants travel a long way during the last hours of their lives," said study leader David P. Hughes of Harvard University.

After the ant dies, the fungus continues to grow inside it. By dissecting victims, Hughes and colleagues found that the parasite converts the ant's innards into sugars that help the fungus grow. But it leaves the muscles controlling the mandibles intact to make sure the ant keeps its death grip on the leaf.

The fungus also preserves the ant's outer shell, growing into cracks and crevices to reinforce weak spots, thereby fashioning a protective coating that keeps microbes and other fungi out.

"The fungus has evolved a suite of novel strategies to retain possession of its precious resource," Hughes said.

After a week or two, spores from the fungus fall to the forest floor, where other ants can be infected.

Making nests in the forest canopy might be an evolved ant strategy to avoid infection, Hughes figures. The ants also seem to avoid foraging under infected areas. This too might be an adaptive strategy to avoid infection, but more study is needed to confirm it, he said.

How the fungus controls ant behavior remains unknown. "That is another research area we are actively pursuing right now," Hughes said.

Are those fungus smart, or what?

 

[NotAHenchwench]

This... is seriously the best thing I've read all day. Thank you.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Before you know it, we'll have 28 Days Later on our hands.

Awesome.

 

[NotAHenchwench]

Time to dust off the machetes, boys and girls!

 

[ObakeTora]

I hate flies and I googled ways to control those pesky bastards. Check this out for anyone who's creeped out by maggots and has a hatred for houseflies...

http://www.biconet.com/flies/FC3.html

Fly parasites are gnat-sized, nocturnal, burrowing insects which do not bite, sting, or harm humans or animals.

These tiny wasps kill the fly pupae both by host feeding and by parasitization, depositing their eggs into the live pupae. Adaptable to all climates, these parasitoids reproduce in two to three weeks, thus constantly reinforcing the beneficial insect population.

The insects are shipped as parasitized pupae in a sawdust medium and are dispersed by releasing a small handful at "hot spots": for example, manure collection sites; under water troughs; along fence lines; below straw bedding; around mill areas, silage pits, and other feeding sites.

At the edges of these hot spots, scratch a 1/2 inch hole in the ground with your boot heel, drop in a small handful of sawdust and pupae, and cover with them with straw, earth, or manure to protect them against wind, birds, or pesticides.

The parasites may travel 30-50 meters in search of viable fly larvae and pupae. Repeat this release procedure in slightly different spots on subsequent applications. In this way, new cultures of parasites will be evenly distributed throughout the fly season.

 

[The Battousai]

There are quite a few species-specific parasites that do these things. Quite fascinating, really.

 

[bullets]

Recently there has been a large spike in the fire ant population of the southern United States. Environmentalists have predicted that before April 2010 the fire ant population will have increased by nearly 40% in the United States.The ants are believed to be coming from Mexico and contain a much more poisonous venom than other fire ants, thus causing many states to start emergency programs to destroy fire ant colonies before they spread

I just read this on wiki.

 

[ObakeTora]

This is even creepier, whats to say a species will evolve to do this to us someday????


http://www.livescience.com/animals/090812-ant-fungus.html


Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus

In a bizarre parasitic death sentence, a fungus turns carpenter ants into the walking dead and gets them to die in a spot that's perfect for the fungus to grow and reproduce.

Scientists have no clue how the fungus takes control of the brains of ants so effectively. But a new study in the September issue of the American Naturalist reveals an incredible set of strategies that ensue.

The carpenter ants nest high in the canopy of a forest in Thailand, and they trek to the forest floor to forage. The fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, prefers to end up on the undersides leaves sprouting from the northwest side of plants that grow on the forest floor, the new study showed. That's where temperature, humidity and sunlight are ideal for the fungus to grow and reproduce and infect more ants.

Once infected by the fungus, an ant is compelled to climb down from the canopy to the low leaves, where it clamps down with its mandibles just before it dies.

"The fungus accurately manipulates the infected ants into dying where the parasite prefers to be, by making the ants travel a long way during the last hours of their lives," said study leader David P. Hughes of Harvard University.

After the ant dies, the fungus continues to grow inside it. By dissecting victims, Hughes and colleagues found that the parasite converts the ant's innards into sugars that help the fungus grow. But it leaves the muscles controlling the mandibles intact to make sure the ant keeps its death grip on the leaf.

The fungus also preserves the ant's outer shell, growing into cracks and crevices to reinforce weak spots, thereby fashioning a protective coating that keeps microbes and other fungi out.

"The fungus has evolved a suite of novel strategies to retain possession of its precious resource," Hughes said.

After a week or two, spores from the fungus fall to the forest floor, where other ants can be infected.

Making nests in the forest canopy might be an evolved ant strategy to avoid infection, Hughes figures. The ants also seem to avoid foraging under infected areas. This too might be an adaptive strategy to avoid infection, but more study is needed to confirm it, he said.

How the fungus controls ant behavior remains unknown. "That is another research area we are actively pursuing right now," Hughes said.