Dr. Harry Evans, Emeritus Fellow at CAB International, led scientists—including from the Natural History Museum of Denmark and Royal Botanical Gardens Kew—in a study to investigate the identity of a fungus found on a spider during filming of the BBC Winterwatch series in Northern Ireland. The work is published in the journal Fungal Systematics and Evolution.

I will warn you that the images are not pleasant.

  • Buddahriffic@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    3 days ago

    When these things “take over”, are they a) causing distress that just makes the host do things it wouldn’t normally, b) taking control by producing hormones that alter behaviour, c) physically taking over the body by replacing nerves/muscles with mycelium and overriding anything the host’s brain is trying to do, or d) taking over the brain of the host itself?

    I’m not sure which option is the worst one. Each sounds just like a different level of “your body isn’t yours anymore” hell.

      • BananaTrifleViolin@lemmy.worldEnglish
        113·
        4 days ago

        Can’t be swearing on the Internet! I think you mean f***. Possibly even **** or even better fudge. Would hate to upset the Americans! They might impose tariffs.

          • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            10·
            4 days ago

            They’re joking, referencing the propensity of companies of late to try and sanitize the internet so people have taken to censoring memes and comments like that, even with words that aren’t curse words (thus the existence of words like “unalive” and “sewerslide” to reference suicide.) So much so it has creeped in here from their users and stolen memes as well now.

            Though “American?” Iirc TikTok started this mess, and American companies are probably hopping on board now but I don’t use anything but lemmy and masto so who knows.

  • seven_phone@lemmy.worldEnglish
    463·
    4 days ago

    There was a supplementary paper that noted the AGGT gene string was being activated by this fungal process and led to giantism with some individuals reaching the size of dogs. Growth spurts of this sort in spiders studied were accompanied by hyperactivity due to respiratory problems and an insatiable hunger for flesh. Twelve specimens that seemed most prone to these symptoms are being flown to the Huugens Spider research labs in Baltimore for further study. Results are not expected to be immediate due to problems Baltimore is currently having with its security.

    • Venator@lemmy.nzEnglish
      2·
      3 days ago

      The last of us fungus is inspired by the previously discovered one mentioned in the article.

      mirroring the behavior of ants infected by fungi of the genus Ophiocordyceps previously reported from the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil