The Ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungus can infect and control ants, manipulating their behavior to assist in its reproduction. The spore is incredibly thin, enabling it to attach and penetrate the ant's exoskeleton. Once inside, it grows and alters the ant's nervous system. The ant eventually leaves its colony, climbs a tree, and bites a leaf before dying. This phenomenon is also represented in media like The Last of Us, which features Cordyceps fungi infecting humans. Mindy Weisberger's book Rise of the Zombie Bugs explores similar cases of host manipulation in nature.
The spore is ten times thinner than a human hair, and it only needs an ant to walk over it. The fungus penetrates the exoskeleton and takes control of the ant.
Days later, the infected ant leaves its anthill, climbs a tree, and bites a leaf. The ant dies, and Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sprouts from its head.
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