Parasite-Infested Ants

[Critical]

Found this quite interesting but many articles lack sufficient evidence, just 'irregular' bite marks on the leaf stems.


A parasitic fungus called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis that infects a plain old carpenter ant and takes over its brain, leading the ant to bite into the vein that runs down the center of a leaf on the underside. The ant dies shortly thereafter, but the fungus gains the nutrients it needs to grow this crazy stalk out of the ant’s body and release spores to create the next generation of ant-controlling fungi.

Edit: Fixed link Article (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/08/18/parasite-infested-zombie-ants-walked-the-earth-48-million-years-ago/)

[4lti]

Originally posted by Critical
Found this quite interesting but many articles lack sufficient evidence, just 'irregular' bite marks on the leaf stems.


Isnt there videos of this on BBC planet earth?

Edit:

Yes BBC Planet Earth - Jungles
CCOQ0VU24xw

[Critical]

Thanks for the video, didn't know this was old news. :rolleyes:

[-relk-]

Ya it is on Planet Earth. Pretty crazy stuff.

[1barA4]

The link to the other article off the OP's link was awesome...a picture gallery of a bunch of zombie controlled animals...

[Tomaz]

I remember watching this with A790. I was freaking out a bit. lol

Imagine this happening to humans!!!

[CUG]

There's a parasite that burrows into a fishes tongue, and well, becomes the tongue.

[JfuckinC]

Originally posted by CUG
There's a parasite that burrows into a fishes tongue, and well, becomes the tongue.

PROVE!?

[hampstor]

It must be all the SC2 i'm playing... but i immediately thought of the Zerg.

[GoChris]

:nut:

That's freaky!

[Quiet10]

I've heard of the fish tongue one! That's insane! :eek:

[Wraith]

Originally posted by CUG
There's a parasite that burrows into a fishes tongue, and well, becomes the tongue.

wtf!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3910137068_ec70855bc8_o.jpg

[JfuckinC]

that shit is fucking creepy wow haha

[4lti]

Originally posted by Critical
Thanks for the video, didn't know this was old news. :rolleyes:

In your origional post


Originally posted by Critical
Found this quite interesting "but many articles lack sufficient evidence", just 'irregular' bite marks on the leaf stems.


You're welcome.

[Critical]

Originally posted by 4lti


In your origional post

You're welcome.

The three articles I found were released this month.

High def. of the parasite in action. :eek:

Link (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Cordyceps.jpg)

[jazzyb]

wtf

[Donmega]

that is just weird.......zombie ants


also that fish has human like teeth.....i don't know why, but it bothers me

[4lti]

Originally posted by Critical


The three articles I found were released this month.

The article writers and you should really watch BBC more often; its quite interesting.

[almerick]

Originally posted by Wraith

Messed up tongue fish

:barf:

[FraserB]

Sooooo gross. Now I cant eat fish for a while, thanks.

[SoSimpo]

you guys should see the one with the snail :drool:

[frinkprof]

I, for one, welcome our new fungus-infected zombie ant overlords.

[psycoticclown]

Originally posted by SoSimpo
you guys should see the one with the snail :drool:

Got a pic?

And this is just so fucked up!!!

vAlEfrwr8aU

[Zephyr]

Originally posted by psycoticclown


Got a pic?

And this is just so fucked up!!!

vAlEfrwr8aU

Is it me or is the chick in the video kinda dumb? Touching a parasite and then cutting it and touching the sharp point of the blade with your finger while it has been tainted with its blood...

[psycoticclown]

^^Yep! I thought the same thing.

[CUG]

Originally posted by Zephyr


Is it me or is the chick in the video kinda dumb? Touching a parasite and then cutting it and touching the sharp point of the blade with your finger while it has been tainted with its blood... She fell asleep in the "don't be retarded" class.

[SoSimpo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWB_COSUXMw&feature=related

[chrispl]

planet earth is awesome:thumbsup:

[derpderp]

Originally posted by frinkprof
I, for one, welcome our new fungus-infected zombie ant overlords.

http://www.thebuzzmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/simpsons-kent-brochman-hail-ants-welcome-overlords.jpg

This is intresting though, I heard about the fish tounge thing in the past but I didn't think any thing like this could cause animals to kill themselves. I wonder if this could happen in humans or if we are to conscious to have it happen.

Ants have some pretty cool tricks though, diffrent types of ants can use pheromones to cause other ants to do odd things.


Several ant species even use "propaganda pheromones" to confuse enemy ants and make them fight among themselves.

I've read before to that their is other kinds of ants that will invade a colony and force the ants in the colony to work for them, feeding them and housing them tell the colony dies off, then they go to the next colony and do the same.

[Dooms_Bane]

this shit is fucked up god damn i did not know this stuff goes on hahaha what the hell!!
all the years of discovery channel and i didn't know this!

[Everlast]

BBC > Discovery