Continuing with the spooky, grosteque and other wordly theme of October…
An Ant is infected by a zombie fungus that is infected by another fungus… a Russian-doll effect of horror!
Researchers in Malaysia recently described Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata, a horn-shaped hyperparasite that feeds on the zombie fungus itself…not on the ant.
In other words: a parasite living on a parasite that is living on an insect.
It goes like this: An ant is infected by an Ophiocordyceps “zombie fungus,” which colonizes its body and ultimately uses the dead insect to reproduce.
Then another fungus arrives. 🐜 🧟 👻
This is your Halloween reminder that nature is rarely a simple story of predator and prey.
Every organism (even a notorious zombie fungus) may be habitat, food, or host for something else.
Reference: Shahbaz, M., Mohadden, F. Z., Rong, J. S. Y., Wei, Y. J., & Seelan, J. S. S. (2026). Taxonomy and phylogeny of Pleurocordyceps (Polycephalomycetaceae, Hypocreales) associated with ants and cicadas from Malaysia, including a new species and new records. Phytotaxa, 750(4).