Zombie Cicadas: The Creepy Fungus Turning America’s Insects into the Walking Dead

Before cicadas emerge, they spend 13 or 17 years underground. This year’s breeding season is exceptional. For the first time in 200 years, adult cicadas from both groups will emerge simultaneously in the United States. However, a grim fate awaits some of them. The fungus Massospora cicadina acts with exceptional cunning.

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The world of the smallest creatures inhabiting our planet can be more fascinating than that of the largest. This is because we still do not know all the species of insects inhabiting various continents. Biologists regularly report discoveries of new insects. Unfortunately, often by the time we first learn of their existence, these animals are already threatened with extinction.

Zombie Fungi in the Animal World