Parasitic Fungus facts
While investigating facts about Parasitic Fungus Ants and Parasitic Fungus Cordyceps, I found out little known, but curios details like:
The parasitic Massospora fungus which infects cicadas, replaces their genitals with a fungal stump, and hijacks their brains with amphetamines and/or psilocybin (the key chemical in hallucinogenic mushrooms), forcing them to mate non-stop and spread the fungal spores to infect other cicadas.
how a parasitic fungus turns ants into zombies?
The largest (and possibly oldest) single organism on earth is a parasitic fungus covering nearly 2300 acres
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 9 of the best facts about Parasitic Fungus In Humans and Parasitic Fungi Example I managed to collect.
what is a parasitic fungus?
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Yartsa Gunbu, a parasitic fungus that is harvested by the Nepali from dead caterpillars. It fetches upwards of $50,000 USD per pound, is used primarily in traditional Chinese medicines, and has no scientifically proven benefits. It is sometimes referred to as "the Viagra of the Himalayas.”
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Ophiocordyceps is a parasite fungus that turns Camponotini carpenter ants into Zombies. These infected ants will break free from the colony, find the best place for the fungus to grow, clamp down on a leaf. The fungus then grows and releases more spores that are then picked up by more ants.
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The Winter-worm, a parasitic fungus that infects Ghost Moth caterpillars and drives them to the soils surface to sprout a fruiting body from the caterpillars head. It is used in extremely expensive Chinese medicines and is worth four times it's weight in silver.
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The a type of cordyceps fungus (a parasitic fungus which preys on insects, featured in the video game The Last of Us as being able to infect humans to create zombie-like creatures) is a prized ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine widely consumed today
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The fungus that turns ants into "zombies" is arguably much worse than just brain control parasite
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Corn infested by parasite fungus is a delicates in Mexico
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Anther smut is a wildflower STD which is a parasitic fungus that infects wildflowers and leaves a dark powder on their petals.
