Zombie Fungi. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis

1.

IT – School Lyceum
ZOMBIE FUNGI
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis
Askaruly Temirlan, Galimova Dilnaz, Balgabai Aset
Atyrau, 2022

2.

CONTENTS:
What is “The Zombie Fungi”?
Ecological factors
Significance in pop culture
Conclusion

3.

WHAT IS THE ZOMBIE FUNGI?
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a specialized fungal parasite that infects,
manipulates and kills ants, predominantly in tropical forest ecosystems.

4.

ECOLOGICAL FACTORS
Area and pray
“Zombification”
Infection process

5.

RESIDING AREA

6.

An ant with the fungi
drilled through it’s
head
PROCESS OF INFECTION

7.

AN ANT TURNED
SHROOM

8.

SIGNIFICANCE IN
POP CULTURE

9.

INFECTION DEPICTED IN THE GAME

10.

CONCLUSION
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a morbid, yet
facinating creature that deserves to be
studied more

11.

REFERENCES
By Lenapcrd - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89165606
By T. R. Shankar Raman - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34859495
Naughty Dog. IMDb, https://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8067579
Hughes, David P., et al. Novel fungal disease in complex leaf-cutting ant societies. Ecological
Entomology 2009,34(2):214-220.
Evans, H.C., R.A. Samson: Cordyceps species and their anamorphs pathogenic on ants
(Formicidae) in tropical forest ecosystems. II. The Camponotus (Formicinae)
complex. Transactions of the British Mycolocical Society 1984, 82:127-150.
Hughes, David P., Torsten Wappler, and Conrad C. Labandiera. Ancient Death-grip Leaf Scars
Reveal Ant-fungal Parasitism. Biology Letters, 2010.
Fossil Reveals 48-million-year History of Zombie Ants. PhysOrg.com. University of Exeter, 18
Aug. 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2012.
Hughes, David P., et al. The Life Of A Dead Ant: The Expression Of An Adaptive Extended
Phenotype. The American Naturalist 174.3, 2009: 424-433. JSTOR Life Sciences.
https://questionableevolution.com/2012/08/08/the-zombie-apocalypse-already-underway/

12.

IT – School Lyceum
ZOMBIE FUNGI
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis
Askaruly Temirlan, Galimova Dilnaz, Balgabai Aset
Atyrau, 2022