A fungus turns cicadas into hyperactive mating zombies
This parasite replaces an insect's lower body with a fungal plug that leaks stimulants, compelling the victim to spread spores through frantic, impossible mating attempts.
The Massospora fungus turns a cicada into a living vessel for its offspring by slowly consuming the insect from the inside out. As the fungus grows, it eventually causes the cicada's entire back end to drop off, replacing its abdomen and genitals with a chalky white plug of spores. To ensure these spores reach new hosts, the fungus produces a cocktail of potent chemicals, including cathinone, a stimulant found in the khat plant. This chemical intervention overrides the insect's natural exhaustion, keeping it hyperactive and focused on mating even as its body physically disintegrates.