Zombie Ant Fungus Attacking Host also Infected with Two Parasites of its Own

Two parasites are infecting the zombie ant fungus as it attacks its host ant. Ants all over the world are turned into "zombies" by this parasitic fungus.

The fungus takes over the host ant's body and mind and uses mind control to convince it to leave its nest and climb a nearby tree.

The fungus there consumes the leaf as the infected ant locks its jaws around it and perishes in a matter of days. The fungus bursts through the host's body and releases a shower of spores to infect the subsequent generation of ant prey.

Zombie Ant Fungus

Over two dozen species of zombie ant fungus, which are officially classified as members of the genus Ophiocordyceps, are found all over the world, including in Florida, Brazil, and Japan.

Scientists believed that each of the numerous ant species affected has its own unique strain of the fungus.

According to a 2020 study, scientists have so far discovered the molecular mechanism of the parasitic interaction concerning both the fungus and ant that serves as the foundation for behavioral manipulation.

However, it's unclear how these parasites work systematically.

According to a recent study, researchers have discovered that the fungus that attacks ants is also infected with fungal parasites, which may be preventing ant zombification.

This parasitic fungus hijacks ant hosts, transforming them into “zombies."

Now, scientists have revealed that the ant-attacking organism is infected with fungal parasites of its own that could be helping keep ant zombification in check, a new study finds. https://t.co/DYGNfC9ru6
— CNN (@CNN) November 18, 2022

Fungi Growing on Zombie Ant Fungus

Dr. João Araújo, New York Botanical Garden's assistant curator of mycology, has spent more than ten years exploring tropical forests in pursuit of zombie ants.

Araújo is the recently published study's lead author.

The mysterious fungus has been noted by other researchers for years, but Araújo and his colleagues decided to become the first to conduct a thorough investigation, focusing on a Florida strain of zombie ants.

In a study published in the journal Persoonia, the researchers evaluated the physical makeup of the fungi growing on the zombie ant fungus and analyzed their DNA.

By doing this, the team found two new fungus genera that were unknown to science.

Araújo said that they discovered that one species of zombie ant fungus in Florida was being infected by two distinct new lineages of fungi.

The two newly found fungi each have their own genus.

The fuzzy white coating covering the zombie ant fungus is caused by one of the new fungi, Niveomyces coronatus; the word "niveo" means "snowy" in Latin.

Torrubiellomyces zombiae, the second new fungus, is more difficult to identify because it appears as tiny black blobs that, in Araújo's opinion, resemble fleas.

Immune to Zombification

The fungi that are attacking the zombie ant fungus don't make their host into zombies, but they do eat its tissues and seem to harm it.

Araújo said that every time they observe the newly described genera feeding off the fungus, the fungus appears to have been severely damaged and eaten by the other fungus.

He added that sometimes it castrates the fungus that creates zombies, Ophiocordyceps.

This indicated that once it loses the ability to release spores, it grows and eventually consumes the entire fungus.

It's unclear how much of an impact Niveomyces and Torrubiellomyces have on zombie ant fungi populations in general because they are relatively new to science.

The zombie ant fungus has been officially described as being infected by these new genera, but the researchers believed there may be additional parasites out there.

Dr. Charissa de Bekker, Utrecht University's assistant professor, believes it to be more typical than previously believed.

Parasitism is a very lucrative lifestyle choice, and it may be the most prevalent on the planet.

Bekker is a senior study author of the 2020 study published in the National Library of Medicine.

Further Studies

Furthermore, parasites in general, parasitic fungi in particular, according to Bekker, are not well studied.

How little is understood about this branch of the fungal tree of life is demonstrated by the necessity of invoking two new genera, CNN reported.

The new study may have implications beyond the study of fungi by deepening our understanding of the zombie ant fungus, according to Dr. Carolyn Elya, Harvard University's postdoctoral fellow in organismic and evolutionary biology.

She was not part of the research group.