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Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as zombie-ant fungus, [2] is an insect-pathogenic fungus, discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859. Zombie ants, infected by the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungus, are predominantly found in tropical rainforests .
The fungus Escovopsis is a parasite in fungus-growing ant colonies that can greatly harm the fungal gardens through infection, [22] and the bacterium Pseudonocardia has a mutualistic relationship with ants. The relationship is thought to have been used by the ants for millions of years, co-evolving to produce the right type of antibiotics.
The behavior is exhibited both in the presence of fungal infection as well as when experimentally exposed to 95% CO 2, causing the ants to die in the absence of an acting pathogen. [1] This indicates that the ants are in fact behaving in an altruistic manner, rather than experiencing behavioral manipulation as a result of pathogen influence.
The ant clamps it jaws around the plant in a "death grip" and following, mycelia grow from the ant's feet and stitch them to the surface of the plant. [9] The spores released from the ant carcass fall to the ground and infect other ants that come in contact with the spores so that this cycle continues. [ 10 ]
Upon the death of the host, the O. unilateralis produces a stalk-like structure erupting from the head of the dead ant from which spores are released to the peripheral environment. [12] this process enables the fungi to infect more ants and, in the process, creates high densities of dead ants in the forest environment known as 'graveyards'. [12]
Ants infected with the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis exhibit intricate behaviors: irregularly timed body convulsions cause the ant to drop to the forest floor, [20] from which it climbs a plant up to a certain height [21] before locking its jaws into the vein of one of its leaves answering certain criteria of direction, temperature, and ...
The American man’s infection responded to standard anti-fungal medications but ultimately took four and a half months to heal fully. He was put on fluconazole for four weeks without improvement ...
Fungus-growing ants (tribe Attini) comprise all the known fungus-growing ant species participating in ant–fungus mutualism. They are known for cutting grasses and leaves, carrying them to their colonies' nests, and using them to grow fungus on which they later feed. Their farming habits typically have large effects on their surrounding ecosystem.