A TERRIFYING fungus that eats spiders from the inside out and turns them into “zombies” has been discovered in Scotland.
The Gibellula fungus is part of the Cordyceps fungus family which inspired the hit apocalyptic series The Last of Us.
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It has only been traced in Scotland about 10 times in the past 70 years.
Gibellula attaches to spiders before eating the arachnids from the inside out.
Stems eventually break out of the body and spread more insidious spores.
Amateur naturalist Ben Mitchell stumbled upon the fungus twice at West Cowal Habitat Restoration Project in Argyll and Bute, as reported by The Times.
He said: “It’s been great to be part of this project, and I’ve found so many species. But my favourite by far has definitely been the Gibellula fungus.
“It’s part of a group of fungi that are known for turning their victims into ‘zombies’, compelling them to act in a certain way before killing them.
“Gibellula seems to make spiders move to the underside of leaves, before sticking them there. It’s maybe so that when they fruit, the spores are protected from the rain and can drop on to other unsuspecting spiders more easily. It’s a bit grim, but it’s all part of the remarkable natural world.”
In the award-winning Sky and HBO series The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, a fungal brain infection sparks a pandemic.
The cordyceps-inspired outbreak leads to hosts turning into zombies, leading to societal collapse.
The infected humans eventually transform into blind ‘clickers’ with fungal growths bursting out of their heads.
Mr Mitchell added: “There have been around ten records of the Gibellula in Scotland over the last 70 years or so, and I can add two to that tally.
“It shows just how rich our temperate rainforest is, but also the importance of going out there and just looking and recording wildlife.”
Cordyceps fungus only infects insects and arthropods.
The West Cowal Habitat Restoration Project covers 45,000 hectares on the Cowal Peninsula, between Loch Fyne and Loch Striven.
The project, managed by Argyll and the Isles Coast Countryside Trust, focuses on reviving the temperate rainforest and protect habitats for animals and plant life.