1 year ago
Zombie Spiders: Fungus Infections Spread in the US
Imagine a tiny monster that gets inside spiders and turns them into zombies!
This monster is a fungus called Gibellula attenboroughii.
It invades the spider, messes with its brain, and makes it leave its safe home.
The spider then dies, and the fungus grows out of its body, like a creepy plant.
This fungus then releases tiny seeds that infect other spiders, and the cycle continues.
It's similar to what happens to ants in some forests, but now it's happening to spiders in places like the US, UK, and Czech Republic.
Scientists are studying it to understand how it works.
A fungus called Gibellula attenboroughii is turning spiders into 'zombies' in the US.
The fungus invades the spider's body, affecting its brain chemistry and behavior.
Infected spiders leave their webs and eventually die, often in attics.
The fungus then sprouts from the spider's corpse, releasing spores to infect others.
The fungus was first discovered in Northern Ireland and has spread to other locations.
- Who
- The fungus affects spiders.
- What
- A fungus called Gibellula attenboroughii is infecting spiders, turning them into 'zombies'.
- Where
- The fungus has been found in the US, UK, and Czech Republic.
- When
- The fungus was first observed in 2021 during a BBC documentary in Northern Ireland.
- Why
- The fungus invades the spider's body, affecting its brain and behavior, causing it to leave its web and eventually die.
Concerned Public
Scientists
Human Infection Fears
Concerned Public
People are concerned that the fungus poses a threat to humans, potentially causing an 'apocalypse'.
Scientists
The articles do not provide any evidence to support the claim, that the fungus can infect humans.
Key facts
- Fungus Name
- Gibellula attenboroughii
- Effect
- Turns spiders into 'zombies'
- Location
- US, UK, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland
- How it kills
- Releases toxins and drains nutrients from the spider's body.
- Infected Spider Behavior
- Leaves web, dies
Quotes
Dr Harry Evans
Emeritus Fellow at CAB International
“The fungus enters the spider's body and invades its hemocoel, Evans told Live Science.”
wionews.com
Sources
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