时差N小时 蚂蚁感染真菌变"僵尸“(下)（在线收听）

Experiments have shown that if infected ants are moved from those locations, the fungus won't develop. Once in ideal locations, the ants bite down on the leaf's vein and the fungus grows hypha, or fungal threads, throughout their bodies. That sounds gross. It gets grosser more than that.When the fungus is large enough, it sends up a reproductive shoot called a fruiting body. The ant looks like it has a horn or antlers growing out of its head. New spores rain down from the fruiting body and infect more ants.

实验显示如果感染上真菌的蚂蚁被从这些地方移走，真菌就会停止生长。一旦找到适于真菌生长的位置，蚂蚁会咬住叶片的叶脉，真菌就会长出菌丝穿过蚂蚁的大脑。那听起来真讨人厌。事实上要远比这儿令人讨厌。当真菌生长到足够大时，它会射出可繁殖的子实体。蚂蚁看上去头部涨了犄角或鹿角，新的孢子从子实体上脱落，会感染上更多的蚂蚁。