New to Nature No 45: Ophiocordyceps camponoti-rufipedis

Ophiocordyceps camponoti-rufipedis is one of four newly discovered fungus species that infect ants, turning them into zombies that affix themselves to leaves, sprout fruiting bodies, and spread spores to other ants. Each fungus attacks a separate species of carpenter ant but share a similar life cycle that terminates with a large sporocarp growing from the neck region of the host. All are from the Zona da Mata Atlantic rainforest system in south-eastern Brazil and probably represent a small fraction of zombie-ant fungus diversity. Quentin Wheeler is director of the International Institute for Species Exploration, Arizona State University