Mind Control is Real

Mind Control is real, and far more prolific than any of us might think.

Perhaps some of you have heard of the fungus parasite, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, which mind controls insects like ants.

This parasite causes ants to climb onto a leaf above the ground, bite onto the leaf, and then hang there until it dies. After this, the fungus will grow a spore capsule through the ants head. When it bursts, the spores will rain down onto more ants below, and the process will repeat.

Insects aren’t the only things that get mind controlled though. Let me introduce you to the friendly fish parasite Euhaplorchis californiensis.

This little guy is a snail that produces larvae that seek out killfish. Once the larvae finds a host, it latches onto its gills and makes its way to the fishes brain. Why does it do this?

Well, to reproduce, the larvae needs to be inside the gut of a water bird. So, how does the larvae get there? It mind controls the fish by releasing chemicals which cause the fish to swim aggressively and regularly roll on its back, flashing its stomach to the sky. This erratic movement and flashy behavior attracts water birds which then eat the fish, allowing the larvae to reproduce :)

More larvae eggs then get re-released into the water via bird shit, and the cycle repeats.

Fish and ants don’t get to have all the fun, though. Meet the hairworm, a cricket’s best friend.

Hairworms have a slight problem — they have to be in the water to reproduce, but they often live in animals that traverse land. So, what does the hair worm do? Well, after it infects a cricket, it releases chemicals that cause the cricket to want to move towards light. Because water reflects light a lot, this causes crickets to find water and go into it, drowning. There, the headworms are able to reproduce, then find their next victim.

Check out the sweet cocoon.

Guess what? That’s from mind control too. The Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga is a wasp that likes to lay eggs on the abdomens of spiders.

The wasp larvae will eventually inject a chemical into the spider too, causing it to build a weird ass cocoon web. This web will protect and support the cocoon of the larvae once it kills and eats the spider.

This is just the beginning. Want to learn more a about mind control? http://io9.gizmodo.com/12-real-parasites-that-control-the-lives-of-their-hosts-461313366 lists some other nice use cases :)