June Salt Spring Island Fungus of the Month: Entomophthora

Here on the Rock we like to celebrate strange things, and we love our weird fungi, but this month's fungus might be the weirdest one yet. June's fungus is parasitic and a bit disturbing, and you may wish to skip the rest of this entry if reading about that sort of thing doesn't sound like fun to you.

The unseasonally rainy weather this June has contributed to an outbreak of Entomophthora, Fly Death Fungus, on some parts of the island. Entomophthora, as you might expect from something named Fly Death Fungus, is a parasite that grows on flies, to their detriment. After a fungus spore lands on a fly, the fungus begins to grow rootlike hyphae into the fly and begin to digest it.

observation by corvi

When the fly is near death, the hyphae grow into its brain and force it to land on the ground and then climb to the top of something tall. As the fly dies, the fungus makes it hold tightly and spread its wings. Then the fungus grows out between the plates on the fly's abdomen as a lumpy tan mass and releases spores. Because the fungus made the fly climb up high, the spores have a good chance of falling on another fly below the fungus to begin the infection cycle again.

observation by corvi

The flies in these pictures are dead and holding onto tall grass seed heads. Dead spore-releasing flies are also often found on chicken coops or animal stables, near areas where there are lots of flies.

Scientists are interested in this fungus as a natural way to control flies without pesticides. It's completely harmless to anything that isn't a fly. Video game designers are also intrigued by this fungus, but for very different reasons - the zombie video game Last Of Us uses an imaginary fungus similar to Entomophthora except it is able to infect and control humans as an explanation for how zombies are created.

Have you noticed fewer flies on the island this summer? Thank the rainy weather and Entomophthora!

Julkaistu heinäkuu 31, 2020 03:30 IP. käyttäjältä corvi