This Horrifying Zombie Fungus Forces Males to Mate With The Dead. Now We Know How



Entomophthora muscae has a remarkable survival strategy that may make you put off your next meal: it infects female houseflies and causes them to become "zombified" before inducing necrophilia in male houseflies with enticing chemical signals.

The fungus can transfer to the male fly and, in principle, have a better chance of further spread by inducing these male flies to mate with zombified females. The unfortunate male fly is then similarly captured by E. muscae.

Sesquiterpenes, or chemical signals, which are produced in the female corpse and released as a tempting signal, are essential to the process. According to the researchers' trials, the longer a corpse has been dead, the more desirable it seems to the guys.

According to evolutionary biologist Henrik H. De Fine Licht of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, "the chemical signals operate as pheromones that bewitch male flies and generate an extraordinary urge for them to mate with deceased female carcasses."

E. muscae begins to grow when its spores have infected a female fly. It can command the behavior of the insect after about six days, moving it to the highest point (on a wall or a plant) before it perishes. The deceased fly then exudes fungus spores in an effort to land on another.

But as this new study demonstrates, E. muscae can make sure it enters at least one more host and spread its spores all over again by luring a male over.

The team exposed male flies to female companions at various stages of fungal infection or that had died from other causes in addition to using a variety of chemical analysis and genetic sequencing tools to determine exactly what the fungus was doing.

According to H. De Fine Licht's observations, the fungus is using this method on purpose. "This is really amazing; it is a true master of manipulation."

According to experiments, female fly corpses that had been dead for 3 to 8 hours attracted 15% of male flies, but corpses that had been dead for 25 to 30 hours attracted 73% of male flies. Chemical signals were released increasingly often as time went on.

Sesquiterpenes have been employed to draw insects' attention in other instances, according to scientists. It appears to be one of the most powerful chemical signals for controlling these small animals.

Sesquitenes have the potential to be utilized to repel flies from certain places, such as regions where food is being prepared. Flies can transmit a number of diseases to people, thus more study into effective fly repellents is definitely needed.

According to H. De Fine Licht, "This is where the Entomophthora muscae fungus may prove effective." We might be able to use the same fungus-derived scents as a type of biological pest control that draws healthy males to a fly trap rather than a dead body.

The ISME Journal 

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