15 May 2009

Zombie Ants Controlled by Flies

...female flies have developed a bizarre reproductive strategy: They hover over fire ants then inject their eggs into the ants with a needle-like appendage. 

The egg grows and the resulting larva generally migrates to the ant's head. The larva lives there for weeks--slurping up the brain and turning the ant into a "zombie," in some cases compelling the ant to march 55 yards (50 meters) away from its colony to avoid attack by other fire ants.

Finally the baby fly decapitates its host and hatches, exiting through the ants head, as shown in the following pictures.

(via National Geographic)

10 comments:

psalmplasma said...

Povestea asta e documentata foarte amanuntit intr'unu' din episoadele din BBC Planet Earth.

Gigi Buzereci said...

Pe care il DL de vreo 3 saptamani.

Strangelove said...

nu mai downloada, are D bluray cu tot Earth-ul.

dj plan b said...

mie mi-a placut ca larva decapiteaza furnica din interior. asta e ceva nou.

Strangelove said...

doamne, ce bine e in varful lantului trofic...

Immortal Ping said...

...spuse Toxoplasmoza Gondii

psalmplasma said...

ahahaha!
excelent :D

dj plan b said...

daca am fi fost in state ati fi putut vinde pe banii foarte frumosi gluma asta :)

psalmplasma said...

banii sunt frumosii.
banii-lor, frumosii-lor.

haha

Strangelove said...

meow!