Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:
- A new study details a new species of hyperparasite, a parasite that preys on other parasites, that specifically feasts on the fungal genus Ophiocordyceps, or the “zombie ant fungus.”
- The new species, Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata, features striking horn-like structures and was discovered in the tropical forests of Malaysia.
- Hyperparasitism is an evolutionary technique that evolved during the Jurassic, and some hyperparasites are even used as biofungicides in agriculture.
The well-loved video game (and subsequent hit HBO series) The Last of Us paints a terrifying alternate reality where a human-loving fungus, capable of taking over the brain and nervous system of its host, wreaks havoc on the world, ushering in a deadly, post-apocalyptic wasteland. While such a dystopian nightmare remains in the realm of science fiction for humans, insects actually live this nightmare every day.
That’s because The Last of Us isn’t wholly fiction—it’s inspired by a real-world parasite in the genus Ophiocordyceps. While the human body is too hot, its immune system too advanced, and its nervous system too complex to fall prey to such a fungus, insects—specifically ants—aren’t so lucky. That’s why the parasite is often referred to as the “zombie ant fungus.” It uses bioactive compounds to take control of the ant’s nervous system and force it to climb to the tallest leaf, where it dies. Eventually, fungal spores erupt from its head.
Yeah, nasty.
Nature, however, has its own way of keeping even the most gruesome parasites in check. In a new study published in the journal Phytotaxa, a team of researchers—led by the University of Malaysia Sabah’s deputy director of the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Jaya Seelan Sathiya Seelan—discovered a new kind of fungus that preys on this zombie fungus, an organism that the team describes as a “hyperparasite.” A few years ago, during a survey of entomopathogenic fungi conducted in the Danum Valley of the Malaysian state of Sabah, scientists collected a specimen they dubbed Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata. The first part of cornusynnemata is a reference to the parasite’s horn-like structure (“cornu” means “horn” in Latin), while synnemata is a reference to its spore-producing fungal structures.
“Rather than manipulating the insect’s nervous system itself, Pleurocordyceps infiltrates and feeds directly on the thriving Ophiocordyceps tissue inside the host,” Seelan told Agence France-Presse (AFP). And while not the first hyperparasite ever discovered—in fact, hyperparasitism evolved sometime during the Jurassic period, around a couple hundred million years ago—the newly discovered species is “the world’s first known member of its genus to feature this highly distinct horn-shaped structure,” he says.
Although this particular species is new to science, the broader strategy it employs is ancient and widespread. Hyperparasites are exactly what the name suggests: a parasite of parasites. However, they aren’t the only creatures capable of feasting on parasites. P. cornusynnemata joins 26 other members of the genus Pleurocordyceps recorded in Malaysia and across China, Thailand, and Japan. The study also identified two other members of the genus—Pleurocordyceps aurantiaca and Pleurocordyceps nipponica—in Malaysia for the first time.
Hyperparasites may sound like a biological Russian doll of insect nightmares, but beyond their ecological role, some have proven directly useful to people. For example, the fungal hyperparasite Coniothyrium minitans feasts on the pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which frequently impacts legume crops by causing white mold.
While fungal parasitism can sometimes be horrifying, it can also be surprisingly helpful—as long as you’re not an ant.
Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.