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marble falls

(56,359 posts)
Tue Aug 11, 2020, 12:38 PM Aug 2020

"Zombie cicadas" infected with mind-controlling fungus return to West Virginia

"Zombie cicadas" infected with mind-controlling fungus return to West Virginia

By Sophie Lewis

July 31, 2020 / 1:33 PM / CBS News

<snip>

When a male cicada is infected with Massospora, researchers found it flicks its wings like a female, a known mating call. This behavior attracts healthy male cicadas, facilitating the spread of the fungus, which contains chemicals including psilocybin, found in hallucinogenic mushrooms.

<snip>

Researchers described the gruesome details of the fungus' process as a "disturbing display of B-horror movie proportions." The spores eat away at the genitalia, butts and abdomens of the cicadas until they eventually fall off, replacing them with fungal spores — a brutal process for the insects, which just spent more than a decade underground.

The cicadas begin to decay, but rather than immediately die, they fly around and infect others. Because of the infection's mind-controlling abilities, the insects appear to behave as if nothing is wrong.


<snip>

"They're very docile," Lovett said. "You can walk right up to one, pick it up to see if it has the fungus (a white to yellowish plug on its back end) and set it back down. They're not a major pest in any way. They're just a really interesting quirky insect that's developed a bizarre lifestyle."

<snip>



First published on July 31, 2020 / 1:33 PM

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"Zombie cicadas" infected with mind-controlling fungus return to West Virginia (Original Post) marble falls Aug 2020 OP
Geez, The Lord sure was thorough in his thinking when he invented Life on Planet Earth wasn't He? mr_lebowski Aug 2020 #1
Fungus is a choice! soothsayer Aug 2020 #2
It's horrible, we MUST STOP the Devil Fungus that's turning the cicada gay AND trans!!!11!! mr_lebowski Aug 2020 #3
Zactly! soothsayer Aug 2020 #6
I tellz ya, THIS is what Trump ought to be usin' his ezekutiv orders fer right here! mr_lebowski Aug 2020 #8
Cicaders are still minors in most states! soothsayer Aug 2020 #12
Life doesn't need a central planner Cirque du So-What Aug 2020 #4
Thanks for clearing that up ;) nt mr_lebowski Aug 2020 #5
Sure, he calls it "quirky"_now_! nilram Aug 2020 #7
Maybe it already has!!!1!! nt mr_lebowski Aug 2020 #9
Maybe something similar happened to Republican brains. KY_EnviroGuy Aug 2020 #10
I think you're onto something! marble falls Aug 2020 #11
 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
1. Geez, The Lord sure was thorough in his thinking when he invented Life on Planet Earth wasn't He?
Tue Aug 11, 2020, 12:42 PM
Aug 2020

Scientifically-speaking, this is actually a pretty amazingly complex life-cycle for this fungus to have.

"B Horror Movie" is a very apt description.

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
8. I tellz ya, THIS is what Trump ought to be usin' his ezekutiv orders fer right here!
Tue Aug 11, 2020, 02:40 PM
Aug 2020

STOP TEH TRANS FUNGUS PRESIDENT TRUMP!!!111!

soothsayer

(38,601 posts)
12. Cicaders are still minors in most states!
Tue Aug 11, 2020, 03:37 PM
Aug 2020

They’re at age of consent in parts of the south (shall rise agin!) maybe, but not for this unnatural rump shaking, no sir!

If I see one of them with a sign that says “you can’t spell fungus without fun” so help me imma git muh gun.

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,483 posts)
10. Maybe something similar happened to Republican brains.
Tue Aug 11, 2020, 02:50 PM
Aug 2020

All the ones I've interacted with act like they're eat-up with something.

There's definitely a fungus among us.


KY..........

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