Nature - The only nightmare fuel you'll ever need.

[Thanatos]

Cordyceps Fungus:

The spores of the fungus attach themselves to the external surface of the ant, where they germinate. They then enter the ant’s body through the tracheae (the tubes through which insects breathe), via holes in the exoskeleton called spiracles. Fine fungal filaments called mycelia then start to grow inside the ant’s body cavity, absorbing the host’s soft tissues but avoiding its vital organs.

When the fungus is ready to sporulate, the mycelia grow into the ant’s brain. The fungus then produces chemicals which act on the host’s brain and alter its perception of pheromones. This causes the ant to climb a plant and, upon reaching the top, to clamp its mandibles around a leaf or leaf stem, thus securing it firmly to what will be its final resting place.

The fungus then devours the ant’s brain, killing the host. The fruiting bodies of the fungus sprout from the ant’s head, through gaps in the joints of the exoskeleton. Once mature, the fruiting bodies burst, releasing clusters of capsules into the air. These in turn explode on their descent, spreading airborne spores over the surrounding area. These spores then infect other ants, completing the life cycle of the fungus. Depending on the type of fungus and the number of infecting spores, death of an infected insect takes between 4-10 days.

Also, there are thousands of species of cordyceps, all tailored to infect a specific species of insect or arachnid.

I'll admit it, this kind of stuff scares the living daylights out of me, just imagining if something like that ever happened to a human.

Or take a Heron. These guys will take bunnies, hold them underwater until they drown, then swallow them whole. Saw it once, and I don't think I'm ever going to forget about it.

Insects themselves are also pretty damn scary.

http://www.cracked.com/article_15816...-in-world.html

[Wheelchair]

Ooo, Nice find!

[Copperknickers II]

Ah yes, cordyceps. Indeed, pretty scary stuff. Assassin bugs and violin spiders are what scare me.

And these nasty pieces of work.

[Ramashan]

So, Thanatos, knowing that you live in LA, I take it you've been to the Museum of Juraisic Technology in Venice? They have an exhibit on this fungus in the very front of the museum. I'd never heard of it, and if you go to the museum you'll understand, I thought it was a joke. But you just confirmed that it is not.

Thanks god I'm not an ant. But this would make for a good plot to some thriller movie.

[Copperknickers II]

It is certainly no joke for its victim:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Godfrey I of Leuven]

Cool, here's a movie:


EDIT: Anti-embed noobs :/

[Chaigidel]

would be wonderful if someone could engineer this fungus into a human variety; would be an awesome experience.

nature is a lovely dance.

[Copperknickers II]

would be wonderful if someone could engineer this fungus into a human variety; would be an awesome experience.

Um... for who exactly? This virus makes people go insane, clamp their jaws onto the nearest sturdy object and get eaten from the inside until they die and their body becomes a giant fungal mushroom.

Engineering a human variety would be absolutely pointless, not to mention impossible.

[sephodwyrm]

FYI, East Asian herbologists love cordyceps. It cures everything, according to them.

[Copperknickers II]

Is there anything in East Asia that does not cure you?

[Baron von Sky Hat]

Nature would appear to be both extraordinary, and terrifying beyond comprehension.
We should have the marines dust off and nuke Nature from orbit. It's the only way to be sure....

This is, however a fascinating example of how complex the systems that nature is composed of evolve and interact. Just think of the amount of time it's taken not just to produce a creature as complex as ants, with their strangely organised and regular society. But for nature to evolve another creature such as this fungus (creature possibly isn't the right word, but meh.) which has gained the ability not just to live inside the ant, but that it's process of doing this manipulates the ants sanity enough to provide a perfect home for it as the host ant dies. Basically all through a massive amount of time, random events and chance, all result in something so amazing. Then to think that this example is just one of practically uncountable instances of the wonder of nature, absolutely incredible. And occasionally terrifying beyond comprehension, obviously.

Anyway, I'm off to napalm my back garden and create a sterile clean room in my house to live in and never leave, no fungus is eating my brain...

[The Count(er)]

Insects themselves are also pretty damn scary.

http://www.cracked.com/article_15816...-in-world.html

damn, those bug's are pretty scary, I guess living in Canada has it's advantages, like no dangerous insects or poisionous creatures that can survive the cold winters, the worst I need to worry about is a crazed beaver attack.(no joke, those things can get pretty vicious. but they're very rare where I live, and don't actually want to attack someone.)

[mrmouth]

Bullet ants are crazy. I can watch shows that show ant colonies all day. Really amazing stuff.

I lived in a place in the city that had a terrible infestation of house centipedes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutigera_coleoptrata

At night, you would see and least half a dozen. I see a picture of those things, and I almost cant take it. They terrorized us for 2 years.

They hunt, and feed on other insects, so it has nothing to do with how clean, or dirty your house is. Overall, they are considered benefical, but if you ever lived with them, not so much. They are really intelligent too. In labs they have shown the ability to distinguish between possible prey. They avoided dangerous insects. They also adapted their feeding pattern to the hazard the prey might pose to them. For Wasps, they retreated after applying the venom to give it time to take effect. When the centipede is in danger of becoming prey itself, it can detach any legs that have been trapped.

They are also almost completely impervious to 99% of insecticides. Its essentially impossible to kill the infestation. They spend their entire lives indoors. So hope to hell you don't get an infestation of those things.

Bot Fly's also scare the out of me. As well as those giant, black centipedes that people collect.

[Aetius]

I lived in a place in the city that had a terrible infestation of house centipedes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutigera_coleoptrata

FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

Those THINGS NEED TO DIE!

I HATE those centipedes. They are the ugliest thing ever, they look like they have massive fangs and they literally SPRINT across the room and usually brazenly in front of you. I have killed dozens of them!

Unlike its shorter-legged but much larger tropical cousins, S. coleoptrata can live its entire life inside a building, usually the ground levels of homes. Because it eats household pests, S. coleoptrata is considered among the most beneficial creatures that inhabit human dwellings. Benefits aside, because of their alarming appearance, frightening speed, and worries about their bite, few homeowners are willing to share a home with these creatures

[Thanatos]

A two inch long centipede?

[Cluny the Scourge]

Reminds me of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers.

They're already here.

[Chaigidel]

holy is the hunter

[D.B. Cooper]

One comment on that link summed up my thoughts,

this is why I intend to live out my life in suburban America

I mean, bot fly maggots inside me is too horrible to contemplate!

[Kabudhan]

This thread has petrified me, holy christ

[C-Rob]

that...is...the epitome of awesome, thanatos!