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Parasitic flies turn fire ants into zombies

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posted on May, 12 2009 @ 06:28 PM
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Parasitic flies turn fire ants into zombies


news.yahoo.com

t sounds like something out of science fiction: zombie fire ants. But it's all too real.
Fire ants wander aimlessly away from the mound.
Eventually their heads fall off, and they die.
The flies "dive-bomb" the fire ants and lay eggs. The maggot that hatches inside the ant eats away at the brain, and the ant starts exhibiting what some might say is zombie-like behavior.
"At some point, the ant gets up and starts wandering," said Rob Plowes, a research associate at UT.
The maggot eventually migrates into the ant's head, but Plowes said he "wouldn't use the word 'control' to describe what is happening. There is no brain left in the ant, and the ant just starts wandering aimlessly. This wandering stage goes on for about two weeks."
About a month after the egg is laid, the ant's head falls off and the fly emerges ready to attack any foraging ants away from the mound and lay eggs.
(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 12-5-2009 by timewalker]



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 06:28 PM
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I live in Texas and I hate those fire ants. Very painful little pest. This story just sounds a bit creepy. I thought some of you might enjoy it since it has the word zombie in the headline. Just think of the implications if they could get them to turn onto us humans. Eeeks. First mosquito's as syringes now flies mutating things into zombies.

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 07:39 PM
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Reminds me of this article from cracked.com:

www.cracked.com...

One of the most interesting and freaky things I've ever read about.



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 07:43 PM
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Already being talked about here www.abovetopsecret.com...



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