{"id":2055,"date":"2021-09-07T07:53:12","date_gmt":"2021-09-06T23:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/?p=2055"},"modified":"2023-09-19T20:16:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T12:16:06","slug":"are-zombie-ants-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-zombie-ants-real\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Zombie Ants Real?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Yes, zombie ants are real. Ants turn into zombies when infected by a parasitic fungus called <\/strong><strong><em>Ophiocordyceps unilateralis<\/em><\/strong><strong>. This zombie-ant fungus takes control of their bodies and uses them to infect more victims.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crazy right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we&#8217;ll further discuss what zombie ants are and how they occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ll also answer more pressing questions including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>What other animals turn into zombies?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can the zombie ant fungus infect humans?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-zombie-ants-real-b-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"are zombie ants real\" class=\"wp-image-3197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-zombie-ants-real-b-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-zombie-ants-real-b-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-zombie-ants-real-b-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-zombie-ants-real-b.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/andreaskay\/44687509010\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Ant, Camponotus sp. with Entomopathogeni<\/a>&#8221;\u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY-NC-SA 2.0<\/a>)\u00a0by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/andreaskay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">In Memoriam: Ecuador Megadiverso<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-zombie-ants-real\/#What_are_Zombie_Ants\" title=\"What are Zombie Ants?\">What are Zombie Ants?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-zombie-ants-real\/#How_Do_Zombie_Ants_Occur\" title=\"How Do Zombie Ants Occur?\">How Do Zombie Ants Occur?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-zombie-ants-real\/#How_Ants_Combat_Infection\" title=\"How Ants Combat Infection\">How Ants Combat Infection<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-zombie-ants-real\/#What_Other_Animals_Turn_into_Zombies\" title=\"What Other Animals Turn into Zombies?\">What Other Animals Turn into Zombies?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-zombie-ants-real\/#Can_the_Zombie-Ant_Fungus_Infect_Humans\" title=\"Can the Zombie-Ant Fungus Infect Humans?\">Can the Zombie-Ant Fungus Infect Humans?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-zombie-ants-real\/#Summary_Are_Zombie_Ants_Real\" title=\"Summary: Are Zombie Ants Real?\">Summary: Are Zombie Ants Real?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_Zombie_Ants\"><\/span>What are Zombie Ants?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Zombie ants are ants <strong>infected by the parasitic fungus <em>O. unilateralis<\/em><\/strong> (Cordyceps). These ants are specifically targeted. They occur only in the <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/what-are-carpenter-ants\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2647\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">carpenter ant<\/a><em> <\/em><em>Camponotus leonardi<\/em> and other closely-related species.\u00a0[<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&#039;Zombie&#039; Parasite Cordyceps Fungus Takes Over Insects Through Mind Control | National Geographic\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vijGdWn5-h8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When infected, these ants begin acting strangely. They start by leaving their nests for a more humid area which fosters the parasite\u2019s growth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moving erratically along the way, they then climb to an elevated position. There they clamp down and lock themselves into leaves or twigs until they die. This final bite is commonly referred to as the <strong>death grip<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After death, the infection culminates as <strong>fruiting bodies<\/strong> sprout from their heads. These bodies <strong>release spores<\/strong> to turn more and more ants into zombies. It\u2019s common for the fungus to wipe out entire ant colonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_Zombie_Ants_Occur\"><\/span>How Do Zombie Ants Occur?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The infection starts when spores penetrate the exoskeleton and enters the bloodstream. There the fungus reproduces and makes copies of itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These copies work together and share nutrients. They <strong>invade the different parts of the ant&#8217;s body<\/strong> and colonize it from the abdomen to the head.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly though, the fungus <strong>does not touch the ant&#8217;s brain<\/strong>. Instead, they form networks that encircle and penetrate the ant&#8217;s muscles.\u00a0[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/full\/10.1073\/pnas.1711673114\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/full\/10.1073\/pnas.1711673114\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a major deviation from how zombies are portrayed in pop culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This suggests that they don&#8217;t control the brain directly. Instead, the infection cuts the connection between the limbs and the brain. The fungus<strong> controls the ant through the muscles<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scientists also believe that the fungus makes use of bioactive compounds. These compounds affect the nervous system and <strong>influence the brain from afar<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With all that said, scientists have yet to pinpoint the fungus&#8217; actual means of control. What we just know for now is that they can assume control and lead ants to their death. That itself is a scary thing to think of.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Ants_Combat_Infection\"><\/span>How Ants Combat Infection<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A 48 million-year-old fossil leaf shows that ants have been affected by fungus for a long time. Through that time, they have developed adaptations to prevent themselves from becoming zombies. [<a href=\"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/doi\/full\/10.1098\/rsbl.2010.0521\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/doi\/full\/10.1098\/rsbl.2010.0521\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One such adaptation is allogrooming. Allogrooming is when ants remove infectious particles from the bodies of their nestmates.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to fungi, they physically remove spores and make use of chemicals to disinfect. They secrete and apply a poison that inhibits fungal growth. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/current-biology\/fulltext\/S0960-9822(12)01378-4\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/current-biology\/fulltext\/S0960-9822(12)01378-4\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In some ant species, sick ants withdraw from their colonies to prevent the spread of disease. Hours before death, these ants cease contact and leave their nests. It is possible that this behavioral adaptation plays a role in a zombie ant\u2019s final ascent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Other_Animals_Turn_into_Zombies\"><\/span>What Other Animals Turn into Zombies?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"743\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Fly_infected_by_Cordyceps_entomopathogenic_fungus_36846012473-1024x743.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Fly_infected_by_Cordyceps_entomopathogenic_fungus_36846012473-1024x743.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Fly_infected_by_Cordyceps_entomopathogenic_fungus_36846012473-300x218.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Fly_infected_by_Cordyceps_entomopathogenic_fungus_36846012473-768x557.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Fly_infected_by_Cordyceps_entomopathogenic_fungus_36846012473-1536x1115.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Fly_infected_by_Cordyceps_entomopathogenic_fungus_36846012473.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Fly_infected_by_Cordyceps_entomopathogenic_fungus_(36846012473).jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Insects Unlocked<\/a>, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Fungal manipulation <strong>isn\u2019t exclusive to ants<\/strong>. There are many different species of Cordyceps that target other insects and arthropods. These include wasps, flies, and spiders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also other parasites apart from fungi that can take control of their hosts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hairworms, for example, are freshwater invertebrates that infect grasshoppers. They consume the grasshoppers from within and eventually force them into suicide. They manipulate grasshoppers to jump into water where they can complete their lifecycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s also another parasite called <em>Toxoplasma gondii<\/em>. This protozoan parasite <strong>infects mammals including mice, livestock, and humans<\/strong>. It infects the brain and is believed to affect behavior.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Infected mice, for example, seem to lose their fear of cats.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research has also linked the parasite to destructive behavior in humans. While unproven, research has shown a <strong>correlation between infection and self-directed violence<\/strong>. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6083268\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6083268\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_the_Zombie-Ant_Fungus_Infect_Humans\"><\/span>Can the Zombie-Ant Fungus Infect Humans?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Are-Zombie-Ants-Real-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2058\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Are-Zombie-Ants-Real-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Are-Zombie-Ants-Real-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Are-Zombie-Ants-Real-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Are-Zombie-Ants-Real.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Rest easy, as they, fortunately, can\u2019t. There are<strong> no known species of Cordyceps that affect humans<\/strong> in the same way that it affects ants.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s also unlikely for them to evolve and infect humans. These types of fungi have evolved to target specific species of animals. If they are to ever infect humans, they would need millions of years of evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, who&#8217;s to say evolution won\u2019t throw us a curveball? While unlikely, it&#8217;s certainly not impossible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary_Are_Zombie_Ants_Real\"><\/span>Summary: Are Zombie Ants Real?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, zombie ants are indeed real. These ants are infected by Cordyceps fungus which takes control of their bodies.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When infected, they act under the will of the parasite which seeks only to propagate and disperse. They&#8217;re taken away from their nests and to an ideal area where they can spread fungal spores. That way, the fungus can infect more victims and continue to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s quite scary thinking how close that sounds to pop culture\u2019s depiction of a zombie apocalypse. Thankfully they don\u2019t affect us. I don\u2019t think I\u2019m ready for a world with clickers from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=u2TDx5Iqmd4\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=u2TDx5Iqmd4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Last of Us<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yes, zombie ants are real. Ants turn into zombies when infected by a parasitic fungus called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. This zombie-ant fungus takes control of their bodies and uses them to infect more victims.&nbsp; Crazy right? In this article, we&#8217;ll further discuss what zombie ants are and how they occur. We&#8217;ll also answer more pressing questions&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3197,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2055"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2055"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2055\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3764,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2055\/revisions\/3764"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}