Advertisement

‘Zombie’ spiders found in Fermanagh cave

FERMANAGH has hit the headlines again this week, this time with a story few would have seen coming – zombie spiders!
Fans of either wildlife documentaries or the horror franchise The Last of Us will already be familiar the concept of a fungus that can infect its host, controlling its behaviour and altering its usual routines.
This week it was revealed spiders found in a cave here in Fermanagh have been infected by such a fungus, known as ‘Gibellula attenboroughii’.
The fungus was named for the famous British naturalist David Attenborough, who first revealed the terrifying fungal infections – with cases in insects such as ants discovered in other countries – to the world through his nature documentaries.
The fungus appears cotton-like and can eventually completely engulf the spider. As a result of the infection the spider leaves its protective lair and die in an exposed position. This behaviour helps the spider spread the spores to other hosts.
The fungal infection also triggers the release of dopamine in the spider’s brain, which drives it to prioritise spreading the spores rather than protecting its own life.
Once they die, the spiders’ body becomes what the scientists call a “sporulating cadaver.”
The horrific discovery was first made by BBC show Winterwatch three years ago, when the team found the fungus infecting hosts in Co Down.
This week, a paper published in the journal ‘Fungal Systematics and Evolution’, outlined how it has since been found in spiders found in Whitefathers’ Caves on the Fermanagh/Cavan border.

To read more.. Subscribe to current edition

Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere

Top
Advertisement