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Nature

Cordyceps — The Fungus That Controls Ants

A fungus hijacks an ant's brain, makes it climb, then bursts from its head.

Reviewed by the CurioVault curator · 8 October 2026 · Editorial standards

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Ophiocordyceps unilateralis infects carpenter ants in tropical forests. It chemically hijacks the ant, forcing it to leave the colony, climb vegetation and bite onto a leaf vein at ideal humidity. The ant dies, and a stalk grows from its head releasing spores onto ants below. It's the real zombie fungus that inspired The Last of Us, and it has farmed ants for 48 million years.

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