A ladybug being infected. |
The green-eyed wasp, Dinocampus coccinellae, lays its egg inside the ladybug (or various other beetles, but this is the most common). The larva eats the ladybug's internal organs for sustenance until it erupts from her abdomen after 3 weeks. Then, it weaves a coccoon in between her legs and the ladybug turns into a zombie, warding off predators until the adult wasp emerges from the coocoon one week later. The ladybug is NOT zombified before the wasp emerges as a larva. Parasiologists and enthomologists wondered how this can even occur. Was it a toxin? Is it a mutation? Another parasite? The answer may shock you.
A ladybug with a D.coccinellae cocoon. |
While I do find this article extremely disturbing, I also find it quite amazing that animals have adapted over time to give them an upper-hand at evolution and survival. Many other animal species have parasitic components to their survival, but it's always a marvel to see a genetic evolution of a species to control brain function, even if it's not intentional! Perhaps now we can understand the real purpose of some species' existence, and how we can even attempt to reproduce those characteristics in modern science and medicine. What if there was a bioterroristic weapon that controlled the minds of people into doing what they wanted? What if governments were able to control your brain? One could only hope a success like this isn't used against us!
Original Article:Wasp virus turns ladybugs into zombie babysitters
No comments:
Post a Comment