Scientists have found something unusual in Northern Ireland’s caves – a new fungus that turns spiders into “zombies.” This fungus makes spiders do things they would never normally do, like leaving their safe, dark homes to die in the open. The discovery happened by chance in 2021 when a BBC camera crew was filming at Castle Espie. They found infected spiders stuck to the ceiling of an old gunpowder storage room. Scientists named the fungus Gibellula attenboroughii, after the famous nature broadcaster David Attenborough. Dr. Harry Evans from CABI, who led the research, explains that the fungus infection process is … Continue reading New Fungus in Irish Caves Turns Spiders into ‘Zombies’