A ‘CREEPY’ dead Tarantula infected with a ‘zombie fungus’ has been captured on video by a researcher working in the Peruvian Amazon.
The fungus is called Cordyceps, which – if you think that sounds familiar – is the famed zombie-inducing fungus from The Last of Us TV show and videogame.
When Cordyceps infect a living host, it can seize control of the mind and motor functions.
“It took over his nervous system and forced him to come to this location,” said wildlife researcher Chris Ketola, who posted the video on his Instagram.
“And then as he died, the fungus sprouted out of his body, allowing the spores to spread to another unsuspecting tarantula.”
Cordyceps drains its host of nutrients before pumping its body full of spores that let the fungus reproduce.
It then drives the insect to seek height and stay there to release the spores, in an attempt to infect other nearby insects.
Scientists believe the parasite takes physical control of its host’s mind by growing fungal cells around the brain.
These cells can hijack an insect’s nervous system to control its muscles and force it to move around in zombie-like fashion.
Also known as the zombie-ant fungus, the parasite infects insects such as ants or spiders.
The Last of Us, which aired in January, depicts what would happen if the parasite made the great leap from spiders and ants to humans.
A trailer for the post-apocalyptic show, which stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, was released at the beginning of the month.
Each species of Cordyceps infects a different type of invertebrate, and the type that targets tarantulas is rare, according to Ketola.
“This is a truly horrific but also incredible thing for our our team to have found tonight,” Ketola said, adding that it was only the third Cordyceps-infected tarantula he had ever seen.
Ketola’s sentiment was shared by onlookers on social media, who found the clip “creepy” but “fascinating”.
“Nature is as grim as it is beautiful,” one person wrote.
Another added: “That’s fascinating. Cordyceps fungi have such a unique way of interacting with tarantulas. It’s intriguing how nature works in such complex ways.”
“Good thing it wasn’t a bloater,” a third person noted in reference to The Last of Us franchise.
A fourth said: “Bro, I was just this close to forgetting HBO’s ‘the last of us’ and here you are.”
