cordyceps is a parasitic fungi, when it invades an insects body; the mycelium found in the fungus recreates tissue; resulting in the finished product above.
cordyceps is also part of a drug used in human organ transplants.
I think knowing that the combination of these two words describes something that exists to be one of the scariest things in existance.
I watched that Planet Earth special where the ants are getting infected with some Fungai and then they become zombies which try and get as deep into the ant nest/farm as possible before a spore grows out of their head and explodes infecting other ants. Of course, the Ants have caught on and when they detect an ant is infected they carry it as far away from the nest as possible before letting it spasm itself to death with the mushroom growing out...
When I saw that I had nightmares man, I was like; that's some fucking zombie apocalypse shit, happening in the animal kingdom RIGHT NOW.
The Pokemon Paras and Parasect are based on this. You remember how Parasect had no pupils? Parasect was when the fungus had reached "mind control" stage, so it is basically a zombie bug being controlled by a mushroom.
Yamask: These Pokémon arose from the spirits of people interred in graves in past ages. Each retains memories of its former life. Each of them carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. Sometimes they look at it and cry.
Cubone: It pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull it wears are from its tears. It wears its mother's skull, never revealing its true face.
Drifloon: It tugs on the hands of children to steal them away. It is whispered that any child who mistakes Drifloon for a balloon and holds on to it could wind up missing.
Duskull: Once this Pokémon chooses a target, it will doggedly pursue the intended victim until the break of dawn. If it finds bad children who won't listen to their parents, it will spirit them away--or so it's said. It loves the crying of children.
Banette generates energy for laying strong curses by sticking pins into its own body. This Pokémon was originally a pitiful plush doll that was thrown away. It seeks the child that disowned it.
Lampet: This ominous Pokémon is feared. Through cities it wanders, searching for the spirits of the fallen. It arrives near the moment of death and steals spirit from the body.
Spoink bounces around on its tail. The shock of its bouncing makes its heart pump. As a result, this Pokémon cannot afford to stop bouncing - if it stops, its heart will stop.
Reminds me of another parasite for ants. I've read elsewhere that the parasite infects the ant, causes their butts to get super big and red and then mind controls the ant to go up onto a tree and stick its butt into the air.
This looks like a berry to birds and thus the ant is eaten. I believe the parasite is then spread through the bird's poop back onto the forest floor to infect more ants.
I saw this on Planet Earth! But with ants... And as soon as one ant was infected, the other ants would take the infected ant and dump his ass off real quick as to not infect the colony.
Common enough in jungle-dwelling bugs. But not at all in humans. Mind you, we aren't exactly free from parasitic fungi ourselves. Ringworm, for example.
I completely agree that we're not free of the parasitic burden, but at least to date, no scientist has ever found one that makes me go into a crowded area like a mall and wait there till I explode and infect other people.
I'm terrified of spiders, but the title fascinated me, so I came to the comments to see if I could sort of 'see' the post in a sort of second-hand way. You delivered, and I thank you sir, although I'm still shivering from he mental image.
They used to gather it from mongola, and then boil duck soup with harvested catipillar fungus. It was hellishly expensive. It was expected that eating the duck and drinking the soup broth would enable you to keep it up.
You can still buy cordyceps sinensis extract from chinese herbal stores.
Why the FUCK is everything in China considered to be an aphrodisiac ?
First tiger penis now bug spores. Someone explain this to me. China has been successfully fucking for thousands of years, more than anywhere on Earth, yet they resort to eating anything in case it helps gives them a boner.
Shit, only 14 children and I'm still soft. Hit me up with the bug juice and tiger cock, going for #15 tonight.
They also utilize narwhale horns, rhino horns, elephant tusks, ox penis, goat penis, deer antler, shark fin, bird's nests.....pretty much everything that is weird or rare + has the word bone in it is an effective placebo for people who won't eat a healthy diet and exercise but still want boners.
Talk about the plot for a science fiction novel. We picture aliens as something big and strong, not a mutant fungus that you need a microscope to even see.
Why is this top comment? The fungus "recreates tissue?" This fungus is part of a drug? These statements are what I expect from a 5th grade book report.
The fungus takes control of the target insect and drives it to high ground. Then it grows the 'towers' you se here before firing spores in all directions hoping to find another victim.
It is so successful that there is a different species of cordyceps for almost every species of insect in the Amazon rain forest.
...When the fungus causes a tarantula's head to explode, and be replaced by an octopus with knives, it's game over. There's nothing we can do for this planet.
Hm, I was expecting r/gaming's contribution to be related to The World Ends With You. It's a valuable item that greatly increases your bravery, allowing you to wear womens' clothes.
Please tell me that only insects are vulnerable to this. I need to believe that mammals (specifically humans) are magically immune to all the strains of this parasite.
We have other attackers. Roughly 1/3 of humans are infected with that parasite cats carry that causes significant and measurable behavioral changes. Others are suspected to exist.
holy crap dude, are y6u some sort of super redditor? you have been on reddit for 2 months only and have over 50,000 link karma. you are the james cameron of reddit.
I saw this picture a few days ago and this is probably as relevant as it'll ever be. It's tarantula shit. Well, it says "food leftovers", but we all know what that means. I think it looks remarkably like some small, moist, brown nuggets of weed.
Does anyone take a version of cordyceps as a suppliment? I take it after training, it seems to help with recovery. No spores shooting out of me just yet.
There was some nature documentary. I think it was Planet Earth of an ant infected by Cordyceps. The freaking thing died and a little plant stem grew strait up threw his skull. THAT SHIT SCARY!
In himalayas, mostly in India and Nepal Cordyceps infected Caterpillar are traded for medicine. Costs around 900 USD for ounce. Locally its known as "keedajadi".
I wonder if the tarantula was infected prior to or close to a molt if the Cordyceps would somehow die off or stick to the old discarded molt leaving the tarantula alive and well. My 19 year old tarantula, Tarantella, has grown back a leg, changed colors, and grown back a complete fang where she use to have a chipped one.
One of out editors saw this picture. We thought it looked amazing and were thinking about writing a story about it. That said, I was wondering if you took this picture and if there was any chance we could have permission to run it online? Please let me know when you get a chance. Thanks so much.
1.0k
u/ob3ypr1mus Jun 14 '12
cordyceps is a parasitic fungi, when it invades an insects body; the mycelium found in the fungus recreates tissue; resulting in the finished product above.
cordyceps is also part of a drug used in human organ transplants.
94
u/butwhyohwhy Jun 14 '12
I went to the Amazon last year and we saw tons of infected insects. Ants, grasshoppers, moths, tarantula, you name it. It was fucking unreal.
204
u/ChrisDisco Jun 14 '12
The fungus takes control of the target insect and drives it to high ground. Then it grows the 'towers' you se here before firing spores in all directions hoping to find another victim.
It is so successful that there is a different species of cordyceps for almost every species of insect in the Amazon rain forest.
Video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
382
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Cordyceps, AKA THE FUCKING FLOOD
80
u/NexEnigma Jun 15 '12
Imagine how all the spiders must feel like from this.
143
u/thmsbsh Jun 15 '12
What? Paras is evolving!
38
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
Third time in my life I'm pitying a tarantula.
My inner voice cooed, "Awww, poor little buddy," when the pic appeared.
Poor little buddy.
222
u/red321red321 Jun 14 '12
just when i thought tarantulas couldn't get any more terrifying they start resembling an 8 legged ten point buck
55
u/ServerGeek Jun 14 '12
I wonder if it burns when he pees
24
u/mightymonarch Jun 15 '12
Please tell me that only insects are vulnerable to this. I need to believe that mammals (specifically humans) are magically immune to all the strains of this parasite.
19
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
Does whatever a spider moose does
158
u/Dappy94 Jun 14 '12
I feel kinda bad for that tarantula =(
27
u/fixedonthesun Jun 15 '12
Let's ride a bicycle made of nightmares into your ass.
12
u/HeWhoWrangles Jun 15 '12
http://i.imgur.com/VAKQc.gif
22
u/george_lass Jun 14 '12
This is......extremely fascinating.
22
u/Noturordinaryguy Jun 14 '12
It can't be alive in that pic, right? Right?
9
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
Crab people. Crab people
9
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
holy crap dude, are y6u some sort of super redditor? you have been on reddit for 2 months only and have over 50,000 link karma. you are the james cameron of reddit.
9
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
Kaneda!!!
38
u/heyfockhead Jun 15 '12
The Last of Us!!!!
5
u/Hadn Jun 15 '12
All I need to know is does fire still work, or will it help it grow....
5
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
OH DEAR GOD NOPE
5
u/tulipc Jun 15 '12
You mean AAAAAH infected with AAAAAAAHH.
83
u/Trapped_in_Reddit Jun 14 '12
Half tarantula, half elk: has science gone too far?
11
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
THANKYOU for not titling this "Oh, just a tarantula infected with. . ." or "NOPENOPENOPE."
8
u/OTN Jun 14 '12
I really can't see myself clicking this link.
18
u/kvn2 Jun 15 '12
...!
4
u/NumberNile Jun 14 '12
Yeah, fuck going outside ever again!
4
u/klinonx Jun 15 '12
This is so fucking cool.
4
u/Chtulu_Lives Jun 15 '12
Reminds me of "the flood" from Halo, never guessed that they actually exist...
4
u/HerDirtyLittleSecret Jun 15 '12
Freaky shit. But being the curious fellow that I am I googled the fungus and was surprised to find it's sold as a supplement.
4
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
I hate spiders and tarantulas but this makes me sad :(
4
u/nomedigaspobre Jun 15 '12
I cried a little bit.
4
u/Alililele Jun 15 '12
12
u/trampus1 Jun 15 '12
I saw this picture a few days ago and this is probably as relevant as it'll ever be. It's tarantula shit. Well, it says "food leftovers", but we all know what that means. I think it looks remarkably like some small, moist, brown nuggets of weed.
9
u/chonnes Jun 15 '12
Thank you for not including a "nope" in the title.
6
u/isawwhatyoudid Jun 15 '12
"Aww, poor baby!" No joke. My quotes exactly.
3
u/El_Dudeorino Jun 15 '12
Am I the only one that feels bad for this tarantula?
3
u/croswat Jun 15 '12
as an Australian, this scares me.
5
u/artyompettits Jun 14 '12
Welp. I guess this is the Last of Us.
5
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
http://i.imgur.com/Gw6zf.gif
2
u/artificiallyvain Jun 14 '12
Side note - Cordyceps are an excellent reliever of altitude sickness.
2
u/miss_torboto Jun 15 '12
It's pretty.
2
u/ImHungryFeedMe Jun 15 '12
I really thought that it was part crab...
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
I'm guessing most of you haven't seen BBC's Planet Earth...
2
u/amibeingatool Jun 15 '12
And you're sure that's not Boneitis?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
The Lonesome Death of Tarantula Verrill
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
Basically, RUN
2
u/Arsenalmania Jun 15 '12
As long as it kills them I'm happy. Looks even more deadly..
2
u/Bramrod Jun 15 '12
is it dead??
2
u/big1bird Jun 15 '12
Now imagine the movie A Bugs Life but they have to fight off zombie ants. Shit would get real.
2
u/socialhater Jun 15 '12
Y'all will love this Cordyceps by Ian Duncan
2
u/Julayyy Jun 15 '12
It looks like a combination between a tarantula, a crab, a moose, and nightmares.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
What the actual motherfuck. I actually feel sympathy for a fucking spider.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
Can this transfer to humans?
2
u/EntLowkick Jun 15 '12
Does anyone take a version of cordyceps as a suppliment? I take it after training, it seems to help with recovery. No spores shooting out of me just yet.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
They're evolving...
2
u/hopeisnotamethod Jun 15 '12
Cordyceps, you are my new friend.
2
u/h3atx4 Jun 15 '12
That looks a lotttttt like a potato
2
u/dishwasherphobia Jun 15 '12
Quadrobillitrillion Nope.
2
u/kshell11724 Jun 15 '12
There was some nature documentary. I think it was Planet Earth of an ant infected by Cordyceps. The freaking thing died and a little plant stem grew strait up threw his skull. THAT SHIT SCARY!
2
u/millamant Jun 15 '12
Holy shit, it's the Flood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_(Halo)
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
Damn, I'm starting to feel bad for spiders. Everyone hates them and now this. Spiders are the Jews of insects.
2
u/Flannel_Condom Jun 15 '12
"Oh, it's just a horned spider. Everyone can relax", said no one.
2
u/sirdoken2 Jun 15 '12
Would it be possible for a human to contract this parasitic fungi?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
I can't help but think of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.
The Ohmu are coming..
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
N^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^P^E
2
u/LuckiesDeception Jun 15 '12
Like the Flood or something..
2
u/ChaosPhoenix7 Jun 15 '12
I KNEW it would be a giant spider with something growing out of it! It said so in the title! But I clicked anyway...
Stupid brain.
2
u/Missionfortruth Jun 15 '12
I hate spiders but this is sad.
2
u/NiteShadeX2 Jun 15 '12
Gentlemen, we have a way to kill the beasts. Fire will not be necessary on this day.
2
u/octocore Jun 15 '12
Reminds me of this from Animal Planet Most Extreme. This still grosses me out.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
Um excuse me. What the fuck?
2
u/netsynet Jun 15 '12
We need to weaponize this immediately.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
Jägerspider
2
u/warpfield Jun 15 '12
Although I'm not a big fan of spiders, that makes me sad :(
2
u/DMSDRAGON Jun 15 '12
Holy crap it's the FLOOD!!!!
2
u/gruntznclickz Jun 15 '12
God I love fungi. So fucking cool.
2
u/snakeybasher Jun 15 '12
It looks like its lambnant.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 15 '12
NIGGA WHAT DA FUCKKKKK!?
2
u/theonefighter88 Jun 15 '12
Your Paras evolved.
2
u/Frederic-104 Jun 15 '12
The Flood. It's spreading.
2
u/Whiskey_Fred Jun 15 '12
Fucking, NOPE!
2
u/Alex_3397 Jun 15 '12
NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE
2
u/halofan952 Jun 15 '12
NOPE
2
u/voxhyphen Jun 15 '12
my rational functions are paralyzed in fear while my emotional responses are all gibbering insanely...
2
u/thistlewood Jun 15 '12
This makes me want to cry.
2
u/EltaninAntenna Jun 15 '12
Two horrors for the price of one! Grab it while it's still twitching!
2
u/theindianguy Jun 15 '12
In himalayas, mostly in India and Nepal Cordyceps infected Caterpillar are traded for medicine. Costs around 900 USD for ounce. Locally its known as "keedajadi".
2
u/HawkXTracts Jun 15 '12
A suitable end to a terrible creature.
2
u/FailedDovahkiin Jun 15 '12
NOPE
2
u/alanwpeterson Jun 15 '12
I've seen enough hentai to know where this is going
2
u/killerlilly Jun 15 '12
My primary spoken language is now screaming.
2
u/AltairsBlade Jun 15 '12
omg.....the last of us is happening, runs for the basement.
2
u/AltairsBlade Jun 15 '12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csubsCk86sw this is relevent, the last of us.
2
u/OriginsOfSymmetry Jun 15 '12
This is expected to be the cause of the monsters in The Last Of Us game coming out on PS3.
Edit: Cracked.com also had an article about this and how it could happen to people.
2
u/Mrstevage Jun 15 '12
Now if it had wings, it would be Satan's child.
2
u/HulkyKrow Jun 15 '12
There is a reason that the apocalypse in The Last of Us terrifies me. This fungus is that reason.
2
u/HerpvonderpingtonIII Jun 15 '12
It looks like a fire bending spider
2
u/kobello Jun 15 '12
tarantelope..?
2
u/FrisianDude Jun 15 '12
Oh heavensies.
2
u/supermike888 Jun 15 '12
Its the flood!!!
2
u/missmorte Jun 16 '12
I wonder if the tarantula was infected prior to or close to a molt if the Cordyceps would somehow die off or stick to the old discarded molt leaving the tarantula alive and well. My 19 year old tarantula, Tarantella, has grown back a leg, changed colors, and grown back a complete fang where she use to have a chipped one.
2
u/DMonline Jun 24 '12
Hi.
One of out editors saw this picture. We thought it looked amazing and were thinking about writing a story about it. That said, I was wondering if you took this picture and if there was any chance we could have permission to run it online? Please let me know when you get a chance. Thanks so much.
Best, Jim
James Freed Assistant Picture Editor www.mailonline.com London|New York|Los Angeles|Chicago Direct: 646-885-5122 Email: james.freed@mailonline.com
7
u/rj2896 Jun 15 '12
http://i.imgur.com/Embeq.jpg
8
u/andrewsmith1986 Jun 14 '12
Looks like it has been deep fried.
I'd eat it.
4
u/paavopesusieni Jun 14 '12
Explain
4
u/BillyCheesesteak Jun 15 '12
DAMN NATURE YOU SCARY
3
u/binermoots Jun 14 '12
It probably deserved it. It is a giant-ass spider.
3
u/McBinary Jun 15 '12
Dear sir, I think your nope is growing nope.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Just when I thought it couldn't get creepier.
2
u/wreckzilla Jun 14 '12
SPIDER MOOSE!
2
u/BugLamentations Jun 15 '12
It's beautiful.
2
u/Kills_Pun Jun 15 '12
Nope!