A scientific study has discovered that Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato, a species of parasitic fungus, is specific in choosing its hosts.

The fungus, which is known to manipulate an afflicted ant's brain, doesn't choose just any ant to zombify. Instead, the parasite can somehow identify the species of ant, and when faced with the preferred host, releases its chemical cocktail to control the ant's brain.

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"Behavioral manipulation is such a complex [characteristic] that it only occurs when there's a very close coevolution between pathogen and host," said molecular biologist and study leader Charissa de Bekker from the Pennsylvania State University.

De Bekker and her colleagues published a paper on the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato.

She said the team theorizes that every parasitic fungi has a specific ant species it chooses to infect.

The members of the Ophiocordyceps genus require ants to complete their life cycle. The genus' fungal spores are found in the environment.

When a candidate ant stumbles upon the spores, it quickly becomes infected with the fungus that then spreads throughout its body.

Inside the insect's head, the fungal cells release compounds that overrides the central nervous system of the ant.

The zombie ant is then instructed to climb up the terrain and vegetation, bite down onto a branch, twig or leaf and is then killed by the fungus.

After the execution, the fungus grows a stalk capable of releasing spores out the back of the head of the ant. The spores infect other ants travelling beneath the corpse.

The research team used the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato, which is a temporary name for the fungus until a proper one is given, species of the fungus. 

Four ant species (Camponotus americanus, Camponotus castaneus, Formica dolosa and Camponotus pennsylvanicus) were used as hosts.

While all are found in the same area, two of the species are normally victimized by the fungus and two aren't.

Scientists then injected fungal materials into the subjects while two sets of ants were controls.

One set had fungus-free injections and the other was left alone. All specimens of the F. dolosa that were injected with anything died shortly after the procedure.

The fungus then proceeded to kill all of the Camponotus species but only the minds of the two known hosts were controlled.

TagsFungus, Ants, Insect, Chemicals, Mind Control, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, Science, scientific research