Isopoda Photo stories Strange but true Cordyceps: the killer fungus
Cordyceps: the killer fungus

 By Francesco Tomasinelli

Some fungi can attack animals, killing them in a in matter of days. In the tropics Cordyceps fungus spores germinate as soon as they touch the correct insect species. They quickly colonize the insect body and kill it without any visible sign on the external. Then, like something out of science fiction, the fruiting body of the Cordyceps erupt form the insect, giving birth to weird structure on the victim. Now the fungus can release spores once more, ready to parasitize new insects.
Most Cordyceps fungi are species-specific and attack only some insect species. Some are even able to alter behaviour of the victim, make the dying insect go higher on branches before killing it, to enhance spores dispersion.

 

 
 

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16-12-2011 Two new short stories in "Strange but true" with tiger beetles and devil flower mantis. Updated Quirimbas Islands reportage 

30-4-2011 New scientific exhibition Predatori del microcosmo at Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino, until 27-6-2011 

25-02-2011 New photo gallery on fireflies, Il ritorno delle lucciole.

03-02-2011 New scientific exhibition Copioni e copiati for Arte e Scienza in Piazza 2011, in Bologna, until 13-02-2011.

08-1-2011 New photo gallery on Iran and persian architecture

05-12-2010 New scientific exhibition Predatori del microcosmo at Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, Trento, until 13-2-2011 

29-11-2010 New gallery Professione naturalista, on people working in natural sciences

28-10-2010 New scientific exhibition Copioni e copiati, for Festival della Scienza 2010, at Castello d'Albertis, Genova, until 5-12-2010

22-10-2010 New pictures exhibition until 11-06-2011 at Museo di Storia Naturale di Torino: Taxon, with pictures by F. Tomasinelli and P. Richaud

13-09-2010 New gallery on Valley of Butterflies, Rhodes, Greece

About this site

Welcome to Isopoda.net, website of Italian biologist and science photographer Francesco Tomasinelli. My favourite photographic subjects are unusual animals, travels and scientists at work, but I shoot many other topics, like sports, events and corporate pictures. I work as scientific consultant too, mainly on ecology topics.

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