Amazon’s zombie fungus found hiding in moss far from infected ants

The so-called zombie-ant fungus has long fascinated scientists because of the way it takes control of infected ants, forcing them to bite plants before they die. Now, researchers in the Amazon say the fungus may have a second, hidden life stage inside mosses, and that discovery could change how scientists understand one of nature’s most eerie relationships.A team led by the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) in Manaus found evidence that fungi from the genus Ophiocordyceps are not only living as parasites inside ants, but are also present inside mosses in the same forest habitat. The finding suggests that the fungus may quietly spend part of its life inside plants as an endophyte, or a microbe living within plant tissue without causing obvious harm.The study is published in the IMA Fungus journal.What makes this fungus so famousOphiocordyceps is the group behind the legendary “zombie-ant” fungus.