First "Summit Disease" pictures for 2007

[beetleman]

The only ones I have seen here in New Hampshire have been the ones effecting the Blue Bottle flies. For the new members, we have been posting a fungal disease called "Summit Disease" which attacks different insects, makes them find a high place to die and just oozes out of their bodies with fungal fruiting bodies to release their spores to the wind. Sounds creepy. Do a search for "Summit Disease" in the forums and you will find more info and some great pictures Ken Ramos took last fall of this strange and alien fungus. These two flies were found 3 inches apart, on different stalks (flower stalks of a sundew plant). Both are facing down (a little unusual). What a bonehead, look at the date on the pictures.

First fly, side view


First Fly, Dorsal View


Second Fly, side view

[rjlittlefield]

What a bonehead, look at the date on the pictures.

Not at all! Just a forward-thinking individual...

Nice pictures, and thanks for the description of the fungus for the new folks.

--Rik

[Mike B in OKlahoma]

I thought maybe these were from Captain Kirk's log, stardate 2207...

Lovely photos. They fill me with the urge to climb to the 24th floor of the high-rise I live in and just shrivel up there and die....

[Ken Ramos]

Okay so we will take it that you will not post anymore images for 21/22 more centuries, which at that time you can pick up where you left off on August 2207. With technology advancing at such a breakneck speed as it is, you should have a really nice camera by then Doug! What a minute! We could stuff you in a particle accelerator and shoot you through a black hole...yeah, that's it!

Nice set of creepy Summit Disease photos too!

[jaharris1001]

Doug,,, these are some amazing photos!! I dont recall Ken posting items like this,, must be before my time
I never heard of this kinda thing,,, very unusual photos
Nice job!!