Irish Cave Fungus Turns Spiders into 'Zombies'

[{"selector":"#anim-7a59fa17-10e2-49a8-acbc-683b3047af3c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5faba8da-d50f-44ab-b9d1-020e38b657fe","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.55696%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dce70e66-bf73-4b63-b29d-894a1a5aaca9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84cc08a0-3efc-4d55-9bd0-1f41373a434b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.3301%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Irish Cave Fungus Turns Spiders into 'Zombies' Govind Tekale

A never-before-seen fungus discovered in Irish caves forces spiders to leave their dark homes and march to their death in exposed areas.

[{"selector":"#anim-d4ddd3c7-9d7b-4f8c-8a0c-32cc384af48c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-046be2a3-6388-4d00-8124-c01e7300846d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-baca3422-caa3-48d8-8b05-c3f8433c164e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4f59fa36-4f41-48e3-97ce-0df48a809af6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ab4355f9-51f6-4abe-b043-7e1866aa5293","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source - Joseph Kiesecker (All rights reserved)

Scientists spotted Gibellula attenboroughii fungus during BBC's Winterwatch filming at Castle Espie's old gunpowder store in 2021.

[{"selector":"#anim-e9bb8b81-01e4-4291-9794-37d26a51ea08","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a12445fe-3a8a-4fec-a3b0-a1744fdf6ab5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 194.01709%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-39de90e1-dd74-4d50-b84c-c46cc73b1c47","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bd0a3d3c-db68-4896-bf10-fac84b4c1bed","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -111.1955%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d5f5edc2-8e41-4dd9-979b-902739260d6f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source - Stephen Fulljames (CC BY-NC 2.0)

The fungus enters spider blood cavities, releases dopamine to control behavior, and produces toxins that kill these cave-dwelling arachnids.

[{"selector":"#anim-f34aaa5e-233d-47cc-b79b-c003215bf51a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c84e8efd-b0d1-49d6-8de0-4dd90e05b137","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.58885%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-041d6654-5f66-4576-a18e-d275d1fdda19","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d770d26b-9983-40f6-bb26-790c3041f4f3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.60759%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ced3947-45db-464d-b581-e672e1c349b9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source - Marc Perkins (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Infected cave spiders abandon their webs, climb to cave ceilings and walls - perfect spots for the fungus to spread its spores to new hosts.

[{"selector":"#anim-981068f8-4373-438b-8765-d2895cfaa9be","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9419e836-b5b9-4337-b816-c3abf14bbca5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 194.01709%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-25dd55da-f192-4c21-a4e5-300f2ff10958","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f816ddc2-2cd9-41bc-b4ba-818cc4d108cc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5ef2ddb3-46ac-4f94-9820-3aa7f5d0ff25","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source - Kool Cats Photography (All rights reserved)

Research leader Dr. Harry Evans calls this fungus a "medicinal treasure chest" as it creates antibiotics that could lead to new human medicines.

[{"selector":"#anim-319bfebc-62eb-40bd-891b-731d5c4a5d9c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d1d1d4d3-212b-46dc-b3e6-7dd43cd5ee42","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2a1a7397-e46f-4567-8ab4-e211b2212c9b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-141dc9dd-6140-44ef-a6c6-00325ed166db","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fa2a7b74-9425-40cd-b7f7-c568daa6fbb6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source - NHGRI (PDM 1.0)

The fungus attacks both smaller orb-weaving cave spiders and larger European cave spiders across Ireland's cave networks.

[{"selector":"#anim-28a7eae7-a9e0-4abd-9045-77491f2271db","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-64d4f083-30dd-49e6-bd01-b9c3291791f1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 194.01709%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a6354caa-2827-4fbe-b903-bfdce843ba4e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7014b770-b424-4c9f-9e8f-dacedf5f4a25","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-81cd4d87-17db-4008-9ec1-816924f52c5c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source - Thomas Shahan (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

With only 1% of Earth's estimated 20 million fungi species identified, this zombie-spider discovery shows how much remains unknown in familiar places.

[{"selector":"#anim-3fb42c37-3b49-4d9a-a2a8-4d4c8d2d7cdc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e115efd1-3a30-4b42-a561-06b0c90b989f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7cfbf7cf-491c-4d54-9ef2-f67daedaf520","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-12ed868d-4149-4950-acad-a774f3c28980","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a6329477-6681-4137-9aae-b41287c9be12","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source - NIAID (CC BY 2.0)

Scientists from Kew Gardens and Natural History Museum of Denmark published their findings in Fungal Systematics and Evolution journal.

[{"selector":"#anim-65af4bc8-1041-44e1-a825-8db3b89b7806","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-319891f1-0f69-4715-bf5e-2171971c7b1a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 194.78631%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e864269a-01ce-460b-88c0-7b4dd64403b2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-065e46f8-26d7-47a4-8d96-d4cf60d60871","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -113.98032%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4ba32c71-c4c8-4c6e-a3f7-d72e27760063","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source - Heather Cowper (CC BY 2.0)

[{"selector":"#anim-4d7c5906-38f2-48b3-aee3-2b1c7507db5e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a273a6a7-d7c2-4793-87c4-d63444e6431e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-129f96fe-3154-464e-8fd2-58d215719159","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d85d777f-f4e3-4ee5-b934-b29d68983080","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5550c453-3b79-4207-b8eb-736ac895c5df","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.23810%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] 50,000-Year-Old Baby Mammoth Found in Siberia's Batagaika Crater Learn more