Qazaleh Qahremany - The Growth Process of the Zombi-Ant Fungus

Nombre y apellidos: Qazaleh Qahremany

País: Iran

Web: none

Redes sociales: none

Título de la obra: The Growth Process of the Zombi-Ant Fungus

Especie o elemento: Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis Fungus

Categoría: Ilustración naturalista

Técnicas utilizadas: Colored Pencil, Stippling

Inteligencia artificial: No. 

Tamaño: 

Año de creación: 2023

Descripción: Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis, is commonly known as Zombie-Ant Fungus. It lives mainly in tropical forests and releases spores through forest's floor in order to infect particular ants Species, named Camponotus Leonardi, even known as Carpenter Ants. In damp wood, whenever the ants are descending to the ground from their canopy for foraging, they're exposed to fungus's spores that penetrate to their exoskeleton and infect them, then manipulate the ant's behavior to climbing up of the tree or plant's stem for the purpose of secure itself to a leaf vein by their mandibles. In this circumstance the ants remain fixed on the leaf and will die after a while. In a proper humidity and temperature, fungus continue to nurture itself until it's fruiting body rupture the ant's head and grow from it. This process is usually took 4-10 days. With spreading spores by the fungus's capsule, its lifecycle will be completed.