Cordyceps (Graphic Image)

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

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Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Cordyceps (Graphic Image)

Post by Ken Ramos »

Well it may be graphic for some but not others, so I put that in the header just in case. There is no telling what you may come across foraging around in the woods for subjects. I had just about given up on finding any thing more having being infected with the fungus, however unexpectedly I found this, this morning on a leisurely walk. As one can see it has been there for quite sometime attached to a Poplar sapling.

Image

The head of what ever this was, has long since been removed due to weathering and looking closely, the stroma can be seen protruding from the various joint segments and along the abdominal segments.

Image

Seems as though there is one very large stroma about midway of the abdomen and at the posterior of the carapace, what appears to be an ovipostor, maybe but then again maybe not but some other sort of appendage.
(Both photogrpahs)
Canon 20D
Manual mode, hand held
1/200 sec. @ f/11 ISO 400
Canon EF-100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon 430EX Speedlite ETTL
PP: Photo Impact 6

jaharris1001
Posts: 319
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:26 pm
Location: Deltona Florida

Post by jaharris1001 »

what the heck is that Ken ? I wish we could have seen the head too,, what a strange creature,, do you have an ID ? Very cool shots there !!
Jim

"I'm growing older,, but not up " Jimmy Buffett

beetleman
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:19 am
Location: Southern New Hampshire USA

Post by beetleman »

Excellent find Ken. You always find the cool stuff. I think Jim needs a refresher on what Cordyceps is. It is amazing how tuff that stuff is :shock:
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

Thanks Doug, I love it when I run across stuff like this. :lol:

Jim replied:
what the heck is that Ken ? I wish we could have seen the head too,, what a strange creature,, do you have an ID ?
This was or could have been at one time, a grasshopper, cricket, or maybe even a katydid, judging from the hind quarters there. Cordyceps is a fungi, one that is used most commonly in the field of medicine for treating heart transplant patients, it hinders transplant rejection and probably has similar uses elsewhere, though I am not up on all that stuff.

Anyway this insect has ingested one of the fungal spores and upon spore germination, it begins to take over, from what I can gather, the insects nervous system. The fungi compels the infected insect to climb to sufficient height, be it on a tree, a shrub, fence post, or a blade of grass, once sufficient height is attained, the insect will fasten itself to the substrate, in some instances by its mouth parts or other appendages. Then the fungi produces the fruiting body or “stroma,” which you see as spikes erupting from the insects exoskeleton. These spikes will burst at the tip releasing more deadly spores into the wind.

Most commonly I find numerous ants that have been infected and from what I have read the fungi can wipe out an entire colony in no time. If you want to really see how strange this fungi is, watch this . :D

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