'Zombie Cicadas' Are Under the Influence of a Psychedelic, Mind-controlling Fungus (cnn.com) 34
Slashdot reader quonset shares CNN's report on "zombie cicadas" under the influence of "a psychedelic fungus" called Massospora containing the chemicals found in hallucinogenic mushrooms (citing a new study published in PLOS Pathogens).
After infecting its host, the fungus results in "a disturbing display of B-horror movie proportions," West Virginia University said in a press release. First Massospora spores eat away at the cicada's genitals, butt, and abdomen. They are then replaced with fungal spores used to transmit the fungus to other cicadas. From there, this new, fungal abdomen will slowly "wear away like an eraser on a pencil," said study co-author Brian Lovett in the release... While almost a third, if not more, of their bodies are replaced with fungal tissue, infected cicadas continue to move around oblivious of their sickness. This is because the fungus manipulates the insects' behavior to keep the host alive rather than killing them to maximize spore dispersal...
Even though infected cicadas lose their ability to mate when their backsides become fungal plugs, they will still attempt to mate to sexually transmit the fungus to healthy cicadas. The parasitic fungus even manipulates male cicadas into flicking their wings to imitate the females' mating invitation so they can also infect unsuspecting male cicadas to rapidly transmit the disease.
While researchers believe sexual transmission of the fungus is the easiest way for Massospora to spread, cicadas can also come into contact with the pathogen in other ways. "When they fly around or walk on branches, they spread spores that way too," Kasson said. "We call them flying saltshakers of death, because they basically spread the fungus the way salt would come out of a shaker that's tipped upside down."
While a zombie army of cicadas sounds terrifying, Kasson reassures that infected cicadas are not a danger to humans. At this time, researchers believe the fungus does not pose a serious risk to the overall cicada population.
"When these pathogens infect cicadas, it's very clear that the pathogen is pulling the behavioral levers of the cicada," says one of the study's co-authors, "to cause it to do things which are not in the interest of the cicada but is very much in the interest of the pathogen."
A doctoral student involved in the research even suggests these discoveries might one day be used for pest control.
Even though infected cicadas lose their ability to mate when their backsides become fungal plugs, they will still attempt to mate to sexually transmit the fungus to healthy cicadas. The parasitic fungus even manipulates male cicadas into flicking their wings to imitate the females' mating invitation so they can also infect unsuspecting male cicadas to rapidly transmit the disease.
While researchers believe sexual transmission of the fungus is the easiest way for Massospora to spread, cicadas can also come into contact with the pathogen in other ways. "When they fly around or walk on branches, they spread spores that way too," Kasson said. "We call them flying saltshakers of death, because they basically spread the fungus the way salt would come out of a shaker that's tipped upside down."
While a zombie army of cicadas sounds terrifying, Kasson reassures that infected cicadas are not a danger to humans. At this time, researchers believe the fungus does not pose a serious risk to the overall cicada population.
"When these pathogens infect cicadas, it's very clear that the pathogen is pulling the behavioral levers of the cicada," says one of the study's co-authors, "to cause it to do things which are not in the interest of the cicada but is very much in the interest of the pathogen."
A doctoral student involved in the research even suggests these discoveries might one day be used for pest control.
Re: Well, ... (Score:2)
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Wait a minute (Score:2)
"First Massospora spores eat away at the cicada's genitals, butt, and abdomen."
I have it on good authority that these are actually symptoms of demons having sex with you while you sleep.
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I have it on good authority that these are actually symptoms of demons having sex with you while you sleep.
Good thing you are posting this on slashdot, world renown for its sexual relationship insights and car analogies.
Ancient news. (Score:2)
I don't know how many documentaries about this the BBC and countless other channels did, pretty much decades ago ...
For pest control?? (Score:2)
Why are these "scientists" always coming up with the most selfish-fucked-up thing literally imaginable??
Are we humans lireral sprawling death that makes even this fungus scared, or what??
There is only one pest oh this planet thst needs to be controlled. And it is "humans" who think this way.
Re: For pest control?? (Score:2)
Humans (Score:2)
I wonder if there are transmissible diseases that modify human behavior.
Imagine a disease that caused humans to desire to congregate in very crowded situations. Or the skiing disease: which causes humans to desire to travel long distance to go to otherwise inhospitable places to congregate with other humans in the evenings - a perfect situation for widely spreading a pathogen? Is there a better explanation for why humans spend lots of resources to go to high altitude cold places and strap boards to their
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" Is there a better explanation for why humans spend lots of resources to go to high altitude cold places and strap boards to their feet to slide down steep dangerous slopes?"
It's the damned cats that got us.
Up to half of the world's population is infected by toxoplasmosis, but have no symptoms.
Summary: Toxoplasma is a common 'cat parasite', and has previously been in the spotlight owing to its observed effect on risk-taking and other human behaviors. To some extent, it has also been associated with mental
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https://knowyourmeme.com/memes... [knowyourmeme.com]
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Guinea worm doesn't directly modify behavior; but its emergence wound is painful in a way that is soothed by immersion in water, which is what it needs to continue its life cycle.
Probably the most banal example is the endless list of respiratory infections that lead to coughing and/or sneezing and the spread of infectio
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Liberalism.
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And tribalism, more generally.
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If only liberalism were more contagious.
It's fungus (Score:2)
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It is an interesting philosophical question.
Like "can viruses reproduce?"
Viruses can't reproduce by themselves, but once they found a host cell, it is obvious that they can. And because they don't have the machinery needed for self-reproduction, they can be much simpler than "true" life forms.
Here it is the same, these fungi can't "think" by themselves, but they have the "thoughts" encoded in them, and they need the nervous system of a host to express them. They are as much able to think as viruses are able
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The biological and behavioural effects this fungus has on cicadas provides the fungus with a survival advantage over fungi that, say, just consume and kill the host straight away.
This is how evolution works. No "philosophising" required.
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It sounds like they're giving more agency to this fungus than it deserves. It's fungus.
Well, apparently it has sufficient agency to turn cicadas into Democrats.
Chemical compounds of interest (Score:2)
The study says the fungus produces Cathinone and psilocybin, which is very cool. Cathinone is the base chemical from which methcathinone, which is naturally occurring, and various designer stimulants, colloquially known as "bath salts" are derived. Psilocybin, otherwise known as 4-PO-HO-DMT, is, of course, the main compound responsible for the hallucinogenic effects of P. Cubensis and other varieties of mushroom.
I'm not surprised about the psilocybin, but I find that they produce Cathinone to be more intere
Re: Chemical compounds of interest (Score:2)
Correction: methcathinone is NOT naturally occurring, it is a designed stimulant along with the others, such as 3-MMC (3-methylmethcathinone) and about 20 others at this point. Clandestine labs are constantly creating new ones that end up on the dark web and clearnet.
"Flying Saltshakers of Death" ?? (Score:2)
Man, they really need to look into who they're letting do research these days!
What if there was an error in punctuation? (Score:2)
infected cicadas are not a danger to humans. At this time,
Well, it could happen!
"Not a danger to humans" (Score:2)
Kasson reassures that infected cicadas are not a danger to humans.
That's what the fungus made Kasson say.