Species-specific ant brain manipulation by a specialized fungal parasite.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A compelling demonstration of adaptation by natural selection is the ability of parasites to manipulate host behavior. One dramatic example involves fungal species from the genus Ophiocordyceps that control their ant hosts by inducing a biting behavior. Intensive sampling across the globe of ants that died after being manipulated by Ophiocordyceps suggests that this phenomenon is highly species-specific. We advance our understanding of this system by reconstructing host manipulation by Ophiocordyceps parasites under controlled laboratory conditions and combining this with field observations of infection rates and a metabolomics survey.

Results

We report on a newly discovered species of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato from North America that we use to addres

SUBMITTER: de Bekker C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4174324 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature