“Unraveling Nature’s Dark Secret: Are Irish Spiders Turning Into Mind-Controlled Zombies?”
Researchers Discover Zombie Spiders In Caves Across Ireland
Tim FoggResearchers look for infected spiders in White Fathers Caves in Northern Ireland.
In 2021, a BBC production crew working on a nature documentary in Northern Ireland discovered the remains of a spider covered in a strange, white fungus in the abandoned gunpowder store at Castle Espie. They photographed the spider, and the images were ultimately examined by Dr. Harry Evans, a fellow at CAB International, a nonprofit organization that specializes in environmental and agricultural research.
After reviewing the photos, Dr. Evans believed that the crew had discovered a new fungus species. “I posited that it was an unknown or unusual species and requested the specimen once the filming had finished,” he told The New York Times.
Tim FoggG. attenboroughii overtakes a spider.
Later, when the BBC nature program aired, a cave explorer named Tim Fogg contacted Dr. Evans and explained that he had spotted similar spiders in caverns across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Fogg reported that he’d found the creatures out on open walls or ceilings of the caves, which was unusual, as they typically remain hidden in dark corners.
After studying the samples, Dr. Evans determined that the cave spiders had been hijacked by a fungus he dubbed Gibellula attenboroughii, effectively turning them into zombies.
How Does The Fungus Infect Its Victims?
In a study now published in Fungal Systematics and Evolution, Dr. Evans and his co-authors detailed the origins of the fungus and how it operates.
