Tag Archives: fungus

The rare Antrodia cinnamomea fungus (also known as Taiwanofungus camphoratus) is only found in Taiwan, and is associated with one particular type of endangered tree. Long used for herbal medicines, the fungus has now been linked to cancer-fighting capabilities through a specific kind of sugar molecule. Researchers from the National Taiwan University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in …

A mysterious fungus is turning spiders into real-life ‘zombies,’ consuming their organs and taking control of their behavior. Known as Gibellula attenboroughii, the fungus attaches to the spider, invades its body and devours it from the inside out. It then manipulates the spider’s brain chemistry, altering dopamine levels to force the insect out of its web and into the open, …

Thousands of Americans have contracted an incurable fungus on the West Coast being dubbed a new ‘epidemic’.  Valley Fever, which got its name because a majority of cases are found in Arizona and California, is a deadly lung infection that kills one in 100 people that contract it.  In just 25 years, cases have climbed more than 1,200 percent in …

It’s the horror destroyer of fruit flies – a fungus that emits spores that land on the flies and infiltrate their bodies, says Sheena Harvey. Burrowing into the fly’s gut, the cells of Entomophthora muscae multiply rapidly and feed on the fly’s internal organs. Then they make their way to the brain.  This is where the fungus takes control. The common fruit …

‘Zombie’ fungi that hijack insects are not just a modern forest horror story. A pair of tiny fossils locked in Burmese amber shows that these parasites stalked ants and flies nearly 100 million years ago in what is now Myanmar. The newly described fungi, Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae and Paleoophiocordyceps ironomyiae, sprouted from their long‑dead hosts, just like today’s entomopathogenic relatives. This gruesome strategy …