Nature’s Puppet Masters: Zombie Parasites

The Puppet Masters in the Underbrush In a tropical forest, an ant suddenly abandons its usual

trail. It climbs a plant stem like it’s following an invisible lighthouse beam.

Then it does something eerie: it bites down on a leaf vein with a “death grip” and never lets go.

The ant isn’t making a bad decision. It’s being steered. Zombie fungi: the last climb

“Zombie ant” stories usually point to a group of fungi called Ophiocordyceps. Their spores infect

an ant, then the fungus grows inside the body, feeding and spreading.

Near the end, the ant’s behavior shifts in a way that benefits the fungus: it leaves

the nest, climbs to a spot with the right humidity and temperature, and clamps its jaws