Name: 'Zombie' Parasite Takes Over Insects Through Mind Control | National Geographic
Uploaded: 2019-11-04T03:09:33.000Z
Duration: 4 min 10 s

Fungi and slime molds race to decompose dead matter on the forest floor.

真菌和粘液黴菌競相分解森林地面的死物。

Many spread by releasing spores up to thirty thousand a second.

許多人通過釋放孢子傳播，每秒可達三萬個。

If just one of these spores lands in the right place, and takes root, it can colonize a whole new area.

如果這些孢子中有一個落在正確的地方 並生根發芽，就能在一個新的區域內繁殖。

但不是所有的真菌都以死人為食。

Days ago, a spore landed on this ant. Now she's acting strange.

幾天前，一個孢子落在這隻螞蟻身上。現在她的行為很奇怪。

A network of roots has infiltrated her muscles.

一張根的網絡已經滲透到她的肌肉中。

Her body has been taken over by cordyceps, a parasitic fungus.

她的身體已經被冬蟲夏草，一種寄生真菌所佔據。

It floods her brain with chemicals, drugging her, compelling her to head where conditions are perfect.

它用化學物質充斥她的大腦，給她下藥，蠱惑她前往條件完善的地方。

Just the right amount of humidity for the parasite growing inside.

溼度正好適合寄生蟲在裡面生長。

It forces her to clamp down in a death bite.

And cordyceps reveals its gruesome nature.

冬蟲夏草也露出了它可怕的本質。

After three weeks of growth, cordyceps can release its own spores.

生長三週後，冬蟲夏草可以釋放自己的孢子。

Cordyceps can wipe out entire ant colonies.

There are over six hundred species of cordyceps spread across the world.

冬蟲夏草的種類有六百多種，分佈在世界各地。

Most are found in jungles where they prey on a whole host of victims.

大多數人都在叢林中被發現，它們在那裡捕食大量的受害者。