New ‘zombie mushroom’ discovery in Ireland: controls spiders

New ‘zombie mushroom’ discovery in Ireland: controls spiders

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New ‘zombie mushroom’ discovery in Ireland: controls spiders





New 'zombie mushroom' discovery in Ireland: controls spiders



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In Ireland, scientists have discovered a new type of mushroom that infected cave spiders and changed their behavior. “Zombie mushroomThis pathogen, called “, seizes the nervous system of spiders and makes them their own spreading tool.

In 2021, a BBC team found a spider with mushrooms, stuck to the ceiling in an abandoned gunpowder warehouse in Northern Ireland. In the investigations, the spider’s cave type Metellina Merianae was determined. But what makes him interesting is the mushroom on him A species that has not been defined before it was. This new type of mushrooms is the name of the famous naturalist David Attenborough Gibellula attenboroughii called.

Brain “hacking” mushroom




New 'zombie mushroom' discovery in Ireland: controls spiders



See in full size


In their subsequent discoveries, researchers encountered similar landscapes in different caves of Ireland. Spiders covered with mushrooms stuck to the walls or ceiling were part of the spread cycle of the mushroom. When the old scientific literature was scanned, some examples in the British Islands were noticed that they had similar infections.

Although the mechanism of this mushroom is not known exactly, the spiders infected Normally, while prefers to hide, they suddenly climb to open areas attracts attention. Scientists think that the mushroom seizes the spider’s nervous system and directs him to the walls or ceiling of the cave. The spider who dies here provides a suitable environment for the development of the mushroom. As the mushroom grows, he releases his sports and finds his new victims with his airflows in the cave.

This story, infected ants Ophiocordyceps Mushroom or popular series and game The Last of Us zombies mushroom (Cordyceps) reminds you of the script. On the other hand, it is not known how the fungus manipulates spiders, but researchers say that in addition to the metabolites they produce, more investigations should be done to understand what effects of infection has on spider populations.