Zombie vs ant
<p><strong>Masters of Deception: The Intricate World Of Parasitism</strong></p>
<p><em>The web of life is gossammer thin, fragile, and often invisible to the naked eye. Symbiotic relationships of varying degrees thrive in this web. These include mutualism, commensalism, amensalism, and parasitism, which bring together animals of the same or different species in a temporary or permanent association. Symbiosis can be mutually beneficial, as in the case of mutualism, or benefit one while bringing neither benefit nor harm to the other, as in the case of commensalism.</em></p>
<p><strong>Zombie vs ant:</strong> Straight out of a horror movie, a carpenter ant infected by a zombie fungus slowly climbs a leaf, reaching the final stage of its gruesome fate. The fungus invades the ant’s immune system, hijacking its nervous system. Under the fungus’ control, the ant ascends to a height of 25 cm., where conditions are perfect for fungal growth. Once the ant dies in its ‘death grip’, the fungus continues to grow, releasing spores that fall to the forest floor, ready to infect the next unsuspecting ant.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:12px;">Photo: Pratik Pradhan/Sanctuary Photolibrary.</span></strong></p>
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