Scientists discover parasite that preys on insect-killing "zombie fungus"

Malaysian scientists have discovered a new species of parasitic fungus that preys on "zombie fungus" known to infect insects before subjecting them to a gruesome death. The new species was found in the jungles on Malaysia's part of Borneo, a large island known for its biodiverse rainforests. Samples were collected during multiple field trips conducted by the University of Malaysia Sabah's Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation , and the research was published in the New Zealand Journal of Botany. It was dubbed a "hyperparasite" because it "effectively parasitizes the primary pathogen," the institute's Deputy Director Jaya Seelan Sathiya Seelan told AFP on Friday. "The fungus belongs to the genus Pleurocordyceps and acts as a specialized hyperparasite," Seelan said. The new species targets ants already infected by Ophiocordyceps, or "zombie fungus," which manipulates the infected insect's nervous system and makes it behave erratically before killing it and bursting from its carcass. "Rather than manipulating the insect's nervous system itself, Pleurocordyceps infiltrates and feeds directly on the thriving Ophiocordyceps tissue inside the host," Seelan said. Named after its unique, distinctly horn-shaped structure, Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata was discovered after scientists studied a dead ant collected from the Danum Valley, a remote area in the Malaysian state of Sabah, the northern part of Borneo. …