The BBC reports that northern England is currently under attack by exploding zombie caterpillars.
From the report:
Caterpillars are being killed by a bug which turns them into "exploding zombies", a wildlife expert has said. Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside Wildlife Trust said the skins of insects have been found on Winmarleigh Moss, near Garstang.
The caterpillars usually eat heather and bilberry but are being infected by a baculovirus which causes them to seek light so they climb up trees where they explode and the baculovirus is released to seek new hosts.
Fortunately higher animals such as humans are immune from such things ... or not!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by PartTimeZombie on Thursday August 03 2017, @10:54PM
We find these occasionally [teara.govt.nz] which is a similar type of thing, although infecting an underground caterpillar.
I believe there are other fungi that make the caterpillar climb up grass stalks to spread spores better. Seems like an awful way to die.