Behold the fungus that turns spiders into zombies and marches them to their deaths

By Sheena Goodyear – CBC Radio

Newly discovered species has similarities to the exploding ant fungus that inspired The Last of Us

Andy MacKinnon, a forest ecologist in British Columbia who studies fungi, calls these “zombie fungi,” and says they even exist in Canada.

“It’s not an uncommon thing, but it’s uncommonly interesting,” MacKinnon, who was not involved in the study, told CBC.

Perhaps the best known example is Ophiocordyceps, a parasitic genus of fungi that infects ants and other insects from the inside out, forcing them to climb up high and explode, thereby showering spores upon their brethren.

It’s the fungus that inspired The Last of Us, a popular video game and television series about a fungi-fuelled zombie apocalypse.