jeffw@lemmy.worldM to News@lemmy.world · 5 months agoA fungus is turning cicadas into horny zombies — but don’t panicwww.npr.orgexternal-linkmessage-square16fedilinkarrow-up140arrow-down13
arrow-up137arrow-down1external-linkA fungus is turning cicadas into horny zombies — but don’t panicwww.npr.orgjeffw@lemmy.worldM to News@lemmy.world · 5 months agomessage-square16fedilink
minus-squareJilanico@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up9·5 months ago Their attempts at reproduction, doomed from the start, only fuel the virus’ spread, a group of scientists at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History told NPR in a statement. Is this a fungus or a virus?
minus-squaretreefrog@lemm.eelinkfedilinkarrow-up6·edit-25 months agoIt’s likely a fungus. Cordyceps do this to other insects all the time. Hijacking insects and using them to spread their spores is there evolutionary niche. Edit: I bothered to read the article here’s a Wikipedia link to the fungus in the article. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massospora_cicadina
minus-squarejeffw@lemmy.worldOPMlinkfedilinkarrow-up2arrow-down1·5 months agoCan’t a fungus spread through direct contact?
minus-squareApostleO@startrek.websitelinkfedilinkarrow-up13·edit-25 months agoSure, but that quote calls it a “virus” but the headline says “fungus”.
minus-squarejeffw@lemmy.worldOPMlinkfedilinkarrow-up7arrow-down1·5 months agoWow, totally missed that. Definitely weird
Is this a fungus or a virus?
It’s likely a fungus.
Cordyceps do this to other insects all the time. Hijacking insects and using them to spread their spores is there evolutionary niche.
Edit: I bothered to read the article here’s a Wikipedia link to the fungus in the article.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massospora_cicadina
Can’t a fungus spread through direct contact?
Sure, but that quote calls it a “virus” but the headline says “fungus”.
Wow, totally missed that. Definitely weird