Scientists discover new parasitic wasp spider creating zombies

In Ekwatorjana Amazon, wasp newly discovered turning social spider b & # 39; regularly in their own zombie.

The species & # 39; spider, Anelosimus eximius, create elaborate lineage similar to bucket b & # 39; & # 39 thousands; his family members. It is considered a "social spider" because cooperate with & # 39; other spiders of her home to share communal hunting, the duty & # 39; parenting and stuff.

That is, until a Zatypota parasitoids wasp lays its eggs on the abdomen.

Since the opening of eggs deposited by the wasp, come larvae, sticking to the spider and eat it, sucking on the blood emolymph to survive. At this point, the behavior of & # 39; the ispider changed and become skjavata the larvae, which is away from its nest to create a common web b & # 39; & # 39 form; shell & # 39; abroad.

The larvae swallowed & # 39; on the spider to death, in the relative safety of cover in & # 39; & # 39 form; its host shell just before chose her built its own cocoon and, eventually, come true urine and beautiful.

Brutal.

Fernandez-Philippe Fournier announced the behavior of & # 39; strange spider and began to investigate. Anelosimus eximius usually do not abandon their nests, but when he saw one dragged to make a completely new web, was intrigued.

His research, published in Ecological Entomology, suggesting that the larvae of & # 39; Zatypota species & # 39; wasp is able to manipulate the activity & # 39; his hosts, controlling his behavior and requiring it to build these unusual pots – and you & # 39; is the manipulation of & # 39; behavior the most advanced ever seen.

Fernandez-Fournier and his research team suspect that the wasp produces behavioral changes in the spider by "get & # 39; in & # 39; any & # 39; ancestor dissemination program" … audible & # 39; an awful lot like mind control. Either that or the wasp causes the spiders to starvation, forcing to seek food in the outskirts of the nest. Once out, start by spinning jewelery & # 39; difference from those who normally reside.

In the kingdom & # 39; animals, the zombifying capabilities wasps are not something new. Other species & # 39; spider, like Orb Weaver, were also unwanted hosts for wasps and a species of & # 39; viżmi to do it for cockroaches, Too. However, the wasp newly purpose seems to alter building web and social behavior & # 39; this particular species & # 39; Spider much more intense than it appeared before.

As you & # 39; do it the larvae of the wasp? The answer to that question is not so easy to find but several theories have been presented, including the injection of & # 39; hormones in the spider to ignore the trend & # 39; the host building "weaves reduced during the moulting". other species & # 39; parasitoid vascular preparing the minds & # 39; their hosts with a chemical cocktail.

The researchers also Find out the size of the spider colony plays a role in the amount of & # 39; spiders receiving treatment & # 39; zombie, b & # 39; larger colonies larger number of & # 39; parasitizzati spiders. It can & # 39; it seems obvious connection you want to do, but it is important to establish the dynamics between parasite and host and you & # 39; allow further understanding of evolutionary mechanisms are in no doubt grim relationship.

Brutal.

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