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Return of the zombie cicadas: Team unearths manipulative qualities of fungal-infected flyers [phys.org]:

July 27, 2020

Return of the zombie cicadas: Team unearths manipulative qualities of fungal-infected flyers

Cicadas infected with the parasitic fungus Massospora unknowingly engage in trickery with their fellow insects, resulting in effective disease transmission, according to West Virginia University-led research.

Massospora manipulates male cicadas into flicking their wings like females—a mating invitation—which tempts unsuspecting male cicadas and infects them.

It's a recent discovery into the bizarre world of cicadas plagued by a psychedelic fungus that contains chemicals including those found in hallucinogenic mushrooms. The research, "Behavioral betrayal: How select fungal parasites enlist living insects to do their bidding," was published in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

"Essentially, the cicadas are luring others into becoming infected because their healthy counterparts are interested in mating," said Brian Lovett, study co-author and post-doctoral researcher with the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. "The bioactive compounds may manipulate the insect to stay awake and continue to transmit the pathogen for longer."

These actions persist amid a disturbing display of B-horror movie proportions: Massospora spores gnaw away at a cicada's genitals, butt and abdomen, replacing them with fungal spores. Then they "wear away like an eraser on a pencil," Lovett said.

Lovett compared the transmission of the behavior-modifying virus to rabies.

Journal Reference:
Brian Lovett, Angie Macias, Jason E. Stajich, et al. Behavioral betrayal: How select fungal parasites enlist living insects to do their bidding, PLOS Pathogens (DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008598 [doi.org])

Original Submission