There is a future sick horror movie in here somewhere:
The parasitic fungus Entomophthora muscae goes to great lengths to exploit the sexual urges of house flies. According to a recent study, after taking control of a fly’s brain and sending its host to die on the highest point it can reach, the zombifying mold concocts a powerful aphrodisiac to complete its ruse.
This love potion fans the flames of lust in healthy male flies, encouraging them to put their moves on the opposite sex, dead or alive. Sometimes that means bloated female carcasses, literally bursting with spores.
The urge to reproduce drives so much in nature that it’s an ideal target for hijacking. From plants that disguise their flowers as female insects to tempt males into doing their dirty pollen-carrying work, to fungi that trick male spiders into mating with infected females, many organisms tap into this power of lust.
After all, when two potential mates lock onto each other in blind attraction, decision-making skills can become… compromised.
The zombie fungus exploits this weakness to an astonishing level, and University of Copenhagen researchers conducted a series of experiments that conclusively demonstrate how.
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