Host Range and Recorded Distribution of the Fungal PathogenEntomophaga Grylli(Entomophthoromycota: Entomophthorales) in Kazakhstan

Entomopathogenic microorganisms in locusts and grasshoppers populations and prospects for their use for control of this pest group

“…The attempt of this pathotype introduction was carried out in the US, however it was not successful. E. grylli is capable of causing a periodic epizootics in host populations across all continents, serving as one of the most important mechanisms of density dynamics [18,19]. In particular, entomophthoralean outbreaks in C. italicus were reported [20].…”

28 Minutes Later: Investigating the role of aflatrem-like compounds in Ophiocordyceps parasite manipulation of zombie ants

“…A variety of taxa are implicated in behavioral manipulations across the Tree of Life, including crustaceans (e.g., Loxothylacus panopaei infecting crabs (Blakeslee et al, 2021)), nematomorphs (e.g., Spinochordodes tellinii infecting katydids (Biron et al, 2005)), protozoans (e.g., Toxoplasma gondii infecting mice (Tong et al, 2021)), insects (e.g., Cotesia congregate parasitizing caterpillars (Adamo, 2019)), and fungi (e.g., Entomophthora muscae infecting flies (Elya and Licht, 2021)), and are even found to occur in non-living viruses (e.g., Rabies lyssavirus infecting mammals (Hueffer et al, 2017)). While behavioral manipulation includes a wide array of tactics, many of these parasites induce summiting behavior to increase their transmission chances (de Bekker et al, 2021; Araújo & Hughes, 2019; Steinkraus et al, 2017; Latchininsky et al, 2016; Wesołowski & Wesołowski, 2013). Collectively, behavior-manipulating parasites are referred to colloquially as “zombie parasites” due to the peculiar actions of infected hosts, many of which are reminiscent of zombies from pop culture sci-fi media (e.g., movies such as 28 Days Later and The Body Snatchers ).…”

“…Not because they reanimate the dead, but because the drastically altered behavioural phenotypes exhibited by infected hosts favour parasite transmission, which is reminiscent of the behaviours of zombies in pop culture and sci-fi media (e.g., the movies 28 Days Later and World War Z ). While the manifestations of behavioural manipulation vary across species, many host-manipulating parasites have convergently evolved to induce summiting behaviour to increase their transmission (Araújo & Hughes, 2019; de Bekker et al, 2021; Latchininsky et al, 2016; Steinkraus et al, 2017; Wesołowski & Wesołowski, 2013). One of the largest known groups of parasites that cause summit disease are the “zombie fungi” of the genus Ophiocordyceps , which infect various species of insects and arachnids globally (Arruda et al, 2021; Cooley et al, 2018; de Bekker et al, 2021).…”