'Zombie fungus' like HBO's The Last Of Us taking over spider bodies in Scots rainforest
dailyrecord.co.ukA “zombie fungus” like the type found in hit HBO show The Last Of Us has been discovered taking over the bodies of spiders in a Scottish rainforest.
The Gibellula fungus, found in forests in West Cowal, Argyll, eats its spider victims from the inside out leaving the exoskeleton whole.
A fruiting body then erupts out to spread further spores and claim its next victim. The Gibellula is a type of Cordycipitaceae, and part of the same family as the Cordyceps fungus made famous by the video game and TV series The Last Of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
The fungus was uncovered as part of a community conservation scheme.The West Cowal Habitat Restoration Project, managed by the Argyll Countryside Trust, has now recorded more than 650 species in the region.
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