Mushrooms turn beetles into living corpses to lure prey

After infecting and killing beetles, the fungus controls the dead beetle on the flower to entice another host.

In a study published in Invertebrate Pathology, Donald Steinkraus, professor of vermin at the University of Arkansas, USA, said Eryniopsis lampyridarum is capable of controlling beetles even when animals are dead, Livescience day. June 15 reported.

Professor Steinkraus first discovered this dead parasitic relationship at a research farm in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Hundreds of indigenous beetles in North America with the scientific name Chauliognathus pensylvanicus gather to eat pollen and mate in the field without knowing many of their congeners have been turned into "living corpses".

The beetle remains hanging on the flower to increase the chance of spreading the mushroom spores.(Photo: Professor Steinkraus).

"On the flowers, I noticed many beetles died, with teeth clenched dangling from the flower , " Steinkraus said. "Their wings are wide open and their bodies are bulging with fungal pathogens."

These animals have been infected with fungal spores in nature. Fungi quickly spread on beetle bodies before turning them into living corpses for continued infection. After about two weeks of invading the beetle, the fungus controls the host to climb the tree, biting into the flower before dying.

Collecting 500 dead and dead beetle samples for research, Steinkraus discovered fungal spores sticking to beetles when they grow will penetrate the beetle's shell and grow from within. Steinkraus said that there is a possibility that the fungus uses chemical signals to control the host.

The beetle body hung on the flower all day, then the mushroom began controlling the beetles that extended the wings."The wings on the beetle open like a flying animal. This exposes fungal spores and may be aimed at attracting other healthy bugs," explains Steinkraus.

Healthy beetles mistakenly believe this winged bug is a partner who swings down to mate and immediately infects fungal spores, then turns into a new "corpse" and continues to spread the fungus this god of death

Beetles have no solution to defend themselves against parasitic fungi, causing 20% ​​of these species to die each year from fungal infections.