In a bizarre parasitic death sentence, a fungus turns carpenter ants into the walking dead and gets them to die in a spot that’s perfect for the fungus to grow and reproduce.
Scientists have no clue how the fungus takes control of the brains of ants so effectively. But a new study in the September issue of the American Naturalist reveals an incredible set of strategies that ensue.
The carpenter ants nest high in the canopy of a forest in Thailand, and they trek to the forest floor to forage. The fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, prefers to end up on the undersides leaves sprouting from the northwest side of plants that grow on the forest floor, the new study showed. That’s where temperature, humidity and sunlight are ideal for the fungus to grow and reproduce and infect more ants.
Once infected by the fungus, an ant is compelled to climb down from the canopy to the low leaves, where it clamps down with its mandibles just before it dies.
“The fungus accurately manipulates the infected ants into dying where the parasite prefers to be, by making the ants travel a long way during the last hours of their lives,” said study leader David P. Hughes of Harvard University.
After the ant dies, the fungus continues to grow inside it. By dissecting victims, Hughes and colleagues found that the parasite converts the ant’s innards into sugars that help the fungus grow. But it leaves the muscles controlling the mandibles intact to make sure the ant keeps its death grip on the leaf.
The fungus also preserves the ant’s outer shell, growing into cracks and crevices to reinforce weak spots, thereby fashioning a protective coating that keeps microbes and other fungi out.
“The fungus has evolved a suite of novel strategies to retain possession of its precious resource,” Hughes said.
After a week or two, spores from the fungus fall to the forest floor, where other ants can be infected.
Making nests in the forest canopy might be an evolved ant strategy to avoid infection, Hughes figures. The ants also seem to avoid foraging under infected areas. This too might be an adaptive strategy to avoid infection, but more study is needed to confirm it, he said.
How the fungus controls ant behavior remains unknown. “That is another research area we are actively pursuing right now,” Hughes said.
A BBC documentary film crew has been held at gunpoint for over three hours while trying to sneak into the world’s most famous secret base – Area 51, otherwise known as Groom Lake / Dreamland.
The BBC film crew just before they were arrested
The Groom Lake facility has no perimeter fence to keep out intruders, but instead uses a network of hidden sensors and cameras that can detect when anyone crosses onto the base. Private security guards also patrol in unmarked jeeps.
Documentary maker Darren Perks and his film crew were arrested at gunpoint while filming ”UFO: Conspiracy Road Trip’ documentary, which airs next Monday; the footage will show the incident where they are arrested at gunpoint.
They were forced to lie on the ground for three hours as guards surrounded them armed with M16 assault rifles.
‘At this point I managed to talk to the guards a bit and one told me how they could ‘make you disappear and your body will never be found’. – Darren Perks
Some of the buildings at the Area 51 gate that the team managed to film before their arrest.
UFO enthusiast and documentary film maker Darren perks said: ‘At this point I managed to talk to the guards a bit and one told me how they could ‘make you disappear and your body will never be found’.
Apache Helicopter
‘He also pointed out that an Apache attack helicopter had been scrambled and had been monitoring us from two miles away and that over 20 military guards had driven up from the actual base to deal with the incident. There were quite a few of them there with guns!
UFO enthusiast: Darren Perks
“One guard I quizzed let slip that there are sensors in the ground that can detect approaching vehicles and walkers up in the nearby mountains, so they know if people are getting too close as they cannot put fences up because the area is so big.”
“Then at about 11:30pm we were allowed to leave on the bus and we went back to our hotel at the nearby town of Alamo Nevada.”
Fined
The crew were all facing a potential 6 month jail sentence for crossing onto the restricted area, but after a series of phone calls between Washington and London and the payment of an equivalent £375 fine each they were allowed to go free.
Followed
It didn’t end there for the crew as they had obvioulsy attracted a lot of rather unwanted attention. Perks went on – ‘Because the film equipment had been taken by the FBI we had to wait to get new kit from Vegas so we had a day of rest but we were followed everywhere by unmarked Government vehicles.”
‘They stuck out like a sore thumb to me. It was myself that pointed this out to the others otherwise they would not have been aware of being followed.”
UFO enthusiast: Darren Perks