Werewolf Cricket
Cordyceps fungus Parasite
An insect that which has died after being infected by a fungus!
Mystery Solved!
What was this thing that looked like a werewolf cricket?
The question I have been trying to answer for a few days. Boy, have I been reaching some types of crickets and spiders! After reaching out to some entomologist and friends on social media the myster is solved.
I found this cricket while doing a service project at a scout camp
Entomologists are people who study insects, as a career, as amateurs or both.
A closer look
So what killed this cricket?
The answer: Cordyceps
Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi that includes about 600 species. Most Cordyceps species are endoparasitoids, parasitic mainly on insects and other arthropods; a few are parasitic on other fungi.
This cricket died because of a Cordyceps fungus Parasite !
Is cordyceps a real fungus?
In real life, Cordyceps is a genus of fungus that contains hundreds of species. The fungi are not bent on infecting humans, but they can really do some damage on insects. Inverbrates!
Is the cordyceps fungus harmful to humans?
Luckily, we don't need to worry about this sort of thing happening to us. Cordyceps can't infect humans, as our bodies are better than insects at attacking pathogens. So you can rest easy, knowing you won't turn into a zombie from these things.
What does cordyceps fungus do to humans?
Cordyceps is said to help fight inflammation in the body. Although some inflammation is good, too much can lead to diseases like heart disease and cancer. Research has shown that when human cells are exposed to Cordyceps, special proteins that increase inflammation in the body become suppressed.
Some videos and websites to check out
Lesson research can teach us some amazing new things. A unique find lead me to do some reach this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment