Infected! Nature's Zombie Fungus

This is the Cordyceps Fungus and it survives by turning insects in mindless zombies. The insects lose control over their bodies and their behavior when infected by the parasitic fungi called Cordyceps. Found in tropical forests, the fungus release thousands of spores that attach and penetrate the exoskeleton infecting the insect. The infected ant feels compelled to leave its nest for a more humid climate that’s favorable to the fungus’s growth. The ant is compelled to aescend to a vantage point about 10 inches off the ground, sink its jaws into a leaf vein on the north side of a plant, and wait for death. After the ant dies, the fungus develops a fruiting body from the base of the ant's head. This turns the ant's dried-up body into a structure that allows it to disperse spores, infecting other ants. Although the infection is fatal for 100% of the ants, the aim is not to turn all of them into zombies. To maintain ecological balance, fungi need to regulate host populations. Surprisingly, only a small percentage of ants in a colony are infected at any one time.