Ah, nature. It can be beautiful, mysterious and downright scary sometimes.
From The Associated Press comes word that scientists are tracking a fungus that turns cicadas into sex-crazed zombies on speed.
The fungus, called Massospora cicadina, produces amphetamine, commonly known as speed, in critters when it takes over — and cicadas are its latest victim, making them hypersexual, thus spreading the parasite as a sexually transmitted disease.
“They’re zombies, completely at the mercy of the fungus,” University of Connecticut cicada researcher John Cooley tells AP.
This fungus isn’t the type of parasite that kills its host, but instead it needs to keep it alive, West Virginia University mycology professor Matt Kasson tells the outlet. Then the infected cicadas attempt to mate with others, spreading the spores to its mate/victim. The males even pretend in their hypersexualized state to be females to entice and infect other males.
Well isn’t that just peachy! Looks like it’s going to be a long summer!