During filming a documentary in Northern Ireland, a group of scientists discovered a young man who managed to control their behavior and turn them into a “zobby”. The fungus called Gibellula attenboroughii is described in a study published on 24 January in Fungal Systematics and Evolution magazine. CORVERSE The cave spider (Metellina merianae) became the fungus host. This usually isolated spider species is found throughout Europe in dark and wet spots. This fungus was originally found during filming the BBC Winterwatch series in Northern Ireland in 2021. The infected specimen was spotted on the roof of an abandoned powderbox. Gibellula attenboroughii potentially releases fungi spores that can manipulate the spider. The fungus also appears to infect a related spider species, Meta menardi. CORVERSE According to scientists, spiders abandoned their tissues or nests and migrated to die when exposed to the fungus. This behavior is similar to that observed in ants infected with fungi by the genus Ofiocordyceps in the Brazilian rainforest. A new zombie fungus: Cave Spiders & Gibellula attenboroughii Gibellula attenboroughii was named after the famous “king” of the documentary Sir David Attenborough. And several other species have been named in honor of the naturalist, including a mammalian laying called the eidna with a long beak of Attenborough (Zaglossus attenboroughi), the tiny orchid (Lepanthes attenboroughii), the Attenborough satyr butterfly (Euptchia attenboroughi) and the ghost shrimp (Ctenocheloides attenboroughi). source: PopularScience.com
Fungus in Northern Ireland controls spiders and turns them into zombies
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