Scientists have uncovered intriguing new details about a bizarre "zombie fungus" that manipulates the behavior of the carpenter ants it infects—with gruesome results. When the fungus—known as ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Tawny crazy ants, a voracious species native to the Caribbean coast ...

Tawny crazy ant, Nylanderia fulva. Credit: Alex Wild/University of Texas at Austin The Tawny crazy ant (sometimes called the Rasberry crazy ant) is an invasive species originally found in South ...

Fungus-infected “zombie” ants are known to scale a plant, sink their jaws into a leaf or twig and wait to die while the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungi feast on the insects’ bodies. Eventually, a ...

A parasitic fungus that reproduces by manipulating the behavior of ants emits a cocktail of behavior-controlling chemicals when encountering the brain of its natural target host, but not when ...

Scientists believe an invasive ant species that spews acid from its abdomen has finally met its match after discovering that a naturally occurring fungus kills off a significant number of the ant ...

If you're even a casual science fan you've likely heard of the cordyceps fungi group before. The genus includes hundreds of known species, but the ones that get the most attention are those that ...

As the climate warms the planet and temperatures rise, some fungi are figuring out how to exist at higher temperatures than they usually like. Enter zombie concerns. Some real-life fungi are already ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. A mind-controlling parasite turns ants into zombies, forcing them to climb to the tops of shrubs, ...