Nightmarish Photos Capture Fly Expelling Zombie Fungus

The winner was the stuff of nightmares: a parasitic fungus erupting from the body of a fly. 

Evolutionary biologist Roberto García-Roa captured the moment when “spores of the so-called ‘Zombie’ fungus infect arthropods by infiltrating their exoskeleton and minds. … Here, they await death, at which point the fungus feeds on its host to produce fruiting bodies full of spores that will be jettisoned to infect more victims—a conquest shaped by thousands of years of evolution.” 

The BMC Ecology and Evolution photography competition promises “a spectacular collection of photographs that capture the wonder of the natural world and the growing need to protect it as the human impact on the planet intensifies.” 

We like the fact that most of the entrants in the competition are not primarily photographers, they are researchers in the field.

Forest ecologist Alwin Hardenbol caught a waxwing in flight getting loaded on rowan berries. “As the berries become overripe, they start to ferment produce ethanol which gets waxwings intoxicated, sometimes leading to trouble for the birds, even death. Unsurprisingly, waxwings have evolved to have a relatively large liver to deal with their inadvertent alcoholism.”

Some images depict the effects of climate change. Behavioral ecologist Lindsey Swierk snapped a shot of a wood frog trapped in the ice with her eggs. The frogs breed when the ice melts, which is happening earlier these days, but late winter storms after the thaw are refreezing the breeding grounds. The results aren’t pretty (although the photo definitely is).

Alexander T. Baum captured “how natural and sexual selection can be at odds” with his shot of a fringed-lip bat munching on a tungara frog. The bat seeks out the male frogs by listening for their mating calls, then swooping in for a meal.

See the entire lineup here.

Photo credit: Roberto García-Roa