纪录片《我们的地球》 第158期 富饶丛林(13)（在线收听）

These bullet ants are showing some worrying symptoms.

这只子弹蚁正在现出令人担忧的症状。

Spores from a parasitic fungus called Cordyceps have infiltrated their bodies and their minds.

一种叫做虫草的寄生菌的孢子已经侵入了它的身心。

Its infected brain directs this ant upwards.

寄生孢子直接入侵大脑。

Then, utterly disoriented, it grips a stem with its mandibles.

失去了方向感的子弹蚁只好用下颚咬住茎。

Those afflicted that are discovered by the workers are quickly taken away and dumped far away from the colony.

这些病蚁迅速被工蚁发现并把它弄到了远离巢穴的地方。

It seems extreme, but this is the reason why.

这看上去有些极端，不过不是没有道理的。

Like something out of science fiction, the fruiting body of the Cordyceps erupts from the ant's head.

有几分像科幻小说，虫草的子实体从蚂蚁脑袋里长出来。

It can take three weeks to grow, and when finished, the deadly spores will burst from its tip.

3个星期的生长期，长成后，孢子将从蚂蚁的头顶脱落。

Then any ant in the vicinity will be in serious risk of death.

然后,附近的蚂蚁将面临死亡的威胁。

The fungus is so virulent it can wipe out whole colonies of ants.

这种剧毒的菌类足以杀死整个蚂蚁群落。

And it's not just ants that fall victim to this killer.

而且它们杀死的不仅仅是蚂蚁。

There are literally thousands of different types of Cordyceps fungi

大约有1千种不同的有毒寄生菌，

and, remarkably, each specialises on just one species.

而且它们都归属于同一物种。

But these attacks do have a positive effect on the jungle's diversity,

这种攻击对雨林生物多样性起肯定作用

since parasites like these stop any one group of animal getting the upper hand.

这种寄生虫能阻止某种生物种群的优势。

The more numerous a species becomes, the more likely it will be attacked by its nemesis, a Cordyceps fungus.

越多的物种产生，就会遭到越多的寄生菌攻击。