onenicebugperday:Deceased insects infected with entomopathogenic fungus, Ecuador.An entomopathogenic
onenicebugperday:Deceased insects infected with entomopathogenic fungus, Ecuador.An entomopathogenic fungus is a fungus that can act as a parasite of insects and kills or seriously disables them. Although Cordyceps is the most well-known, that’s only one genus.Fungal spores land on the exoskeleton of the insect, and under the right conditions (usually very high humidity), will germinate and colonize the insect’s cuticle, moving through the layers of tissue and eventually making their way inside the body cavity. After death, the fungus grows out of the body to release spores back into the environment. It’s not uncommon for the fungus to take control of the insect’s brain and cause it to move to a high location (end of a branch, etc.) before it dies for optimal spore dispersal.All photos byAndreas Kay -- source link