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Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a fungal disease that affects ant populations, specifically Camponotus leonardi (Carpenter) ants that live in tropical rainforest trees. It was first documented by Alfred Russell Wallace in 1859 but was not deeply studied until decades later. Also known as the “zombie-ant fungi,” this fungus infiltrates the ant through spores in the air. Mostly found in tropical forests, the fungus finds its way into the exoskeleton by drilling through with enzymes that eat away at the hard material of the forementioned ant. As the infection progresses, the ant will be compelled to leave its nest in search of 94-95% humid climate that Ophiocordyceps unilateralis prefers. O. unilateralis takes control of the ant's muscular system, but not the brain. This means that the ant may be aware of its inability to control its action as it slowly makes it way away from the nest. It uses the exoskeleton to maintain moisture and protect itself from the outside elements as the journey continues. Once the ant has found a spot around 10 inches off the ground, it will anchor itself to the surrounding plant material with its pincers, locking on and not being able to let go. Now the fungus will begin to consume the inside of the ant, using the nutrients to mature. Days after the ant dies, the fungus will sprout from the neck of the ant and release spores from a bulb on the tip to the ground below, showering other ants and insuring the survival of its own species. Ants have developed many ways to try and combat fungal infections like Ophiocordyceps unilateralis in their millions of years on earth. They perform regular self and social grooming to remove spores from the surface of themselves and others. Some species will spread poison as a kind of fungicide throughout the nest in an attempt to kill off invading fungi. If an infected ant is identified, other workers will remove it far from the nest in hopes that the spores will not make it back to the colony. In extreme circumstances, the colony will decide to seal off infected chambers or even abandon entire nests and start over.

How the Zombie Fungus Takes Over Ants’ Bodies to Control Their Minds https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/11/how-the-zombie-fungus-takes-over-ants-bodies-to-control-their-minds/545864/ Retrieved 2022-11-17 How a parasitic fungus turns ants into 'zombies' https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cordyceps-zombie-fungus-takes-over-ants Retrieved 2022-11-17 Fungus Makes Zombie Ants Do All the Work https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fungus-makes-zombie-ants/ Retrieved 2020-11-17