Comments on: Parasite Turns Ants into “Berries”

By: sestamibi

sestamibi — Sun, 10 May 2009 02:12:17 +0000

The nematode isn’t dumb, it’s just following the script honed to perfection over millions of years.

To cite another example you gave, the jewel wasp. How does it know exactly where to sting its cokcroach host so that it can disable the latter’s escape reflex? How does the jewel wasp larva know to eat the roach’s insides in such a manner as to keep the roach alive as long as possible and not rot immediately?

Again, a script honed by trial and error. First those wasps that didn’t correctly identify the escape reflex ganglion had roaches get away. Then the larva that didn’t eat the correct sequence of cockroach innards were subject to infection.

So those nematodes aren’t so dumb after all.

By: Rich

Rich — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:10:44 +0000

Scary thought, by way of natural evolution how long will it be before such parasites attack/use human hosts? Could this happen?

http://www.aninconvenientblog.co.uk

By: SIJEEM

SIJEEM — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:58:48 +0000

This guy thinks nematodes are dumb… what arrogance. Even a naturalist has it in his head that we’re so superior. This is exactly the mind set that’s destroying the earth. Mycilium does a similar thing to ants btw. look up cordycepes lloydii

From Mycellium Running by Paul Stamets PG 113

“in Costa Rica. The ant, once infected, has the irresistible impulse to climb to the top of the jungle canopy. Once it has ascended and locks its mandible into a leaf, it dies, whereuppon a mushroom sprouts from its carcass. This behavior ensures that the spores of the mushroom will be spread far and wide by the winds.”

By: AnimalEnthusiast

AnimalEnthusiast — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:28:18 +0000

Those poor little ants. You would think there was a less cruel way!

By: sir jorge

sir jorge — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:01:21 +0000

They freak me out.