Can zombie ants still move after death?

Scientists at Harvard University in the United States have found evidence of the oldest "zombie ant" on earth. A fungus that lived 48 million years ago can change and control the behavior of ants by releasing chemicals and turn them into their own puppets. Until the ant finally dies, let's take a look at whether the zombie ant can still move after death.

Can zombie ants still move after death?

Zombie ants can not move after death, moving is parasitic fungi in their bodies. Zombie fungi still live on the earth and are usually parasitic on carpenter ants. "zombie ants" controlled by fungi no longer have their own behavior and life, and the final stage of their life is also the most painful and terrifying. In the last few hours of life, "zombie ants" will climb to the bottom of their leaves and use their jaws to bite the central veins of the leaves, thus trapping themselves on the leaves. At the same time, parasitic fungi are also locked on the leaves, which become "ant graves".

Infection process of zombie fungi

Zombie fungi sojourn in the brain of zombie ants to "direct" dying ants to find leaves or other stable areas to settle down, and then get a stable "nursery". When the zombie fungus is ready to kill the ant, the ants will frantically bite off anything that stands. The fungus has such strong adhesion that they can remain motionless even if the dead zombie ants are upside down. After the ant dies, the fungus quickly spreads the spores throughout the corpse. The fungus quickly eats up nutrients in zombie ants and begins to open up "colonies" outside the body.

Rescue fungi of zombie fungi

Scientists have discovered a fungus that can save these poor ants, a fungus that can castrate "zombie fungi"-"anti-# 39; zombie fungi & # 39" Fungi ", this double parasitic bacteria can parasitize on" zombie fungi ", destroying the spores of most" zombie fungi ", so that only about 6.5% of the spores can survive, so even if there is a large group of zombie ants around, other healthy ants are rarely infected.