#[massospora cicadina]

[sitting-on-me-bum]

With a plug of yellow spores where its abdomen used to be, this periodical cicada has been infected with the fungal parasite Massospora cicadina. The fungus hijacks the sexual signals of cicadas, turning them into zombies and forcing them to behave in ways that spread the fungus.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES

[mycoblogg]

have you talked about entomopathogenic fungi here? i think they're extremely cool! huge fan of Massospora cicadina, personally :]

i actually have not, yet !! let me know what you'd like me to say about it. i'll work on a little post with info about it & some examples, though :-) it's such an interesting concept.

massospora cicadina is a fascinating example of this & definitely something worth looking into. i could even.. do a FOTD.. wink wonk..

i love when people share their thoughts with me on any sort of fungi topics, so i'm glad you sent in an ask !!

[cookie-nom-nom]

If I had a nickel for every time I had an insect OC who lost their legs, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice

Based off the Massospora cicadina fungi, which parasitizes cicadas, forcing them to sing until they die in order to lure in cicada mates, which spreads the fungi's spores. The cicada is also pumped full of psychedelics and amphetamines. I thought this gave a fun angle, as the cicada is having a swell time as their lower half rots away and they lure others to their death. This nameless cicada OC is an enthusiastic participant, wanting to share their 'enlightenment' with others. Sort of a mixture between a siren and a cult leader.

[brianmcnett-blog]

Besides that, cicadas come with their own built-in biological control. Massospora cicadina causes the cicada's genitals to fall off and turning them into single-minded sex machines (which admittedly doesn't take much). This tends to keep populations down over time. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-this-zombie-fungus-turns-cicadas-into-horror-movie-sex-bots/ While Massospora only infects about 5% of the Brood X cicada population, it's still a massive number.

A general reminder—periodic cicadas pose no threat to anyone and their plant damage is limited to nipping off the ends of twigs. Please do not hose them with pesticide. They are slow and clumsy and confused and only want to make friends with other cicadas and eventually die of sexual exhaustion.

Yes, the screaming is a lot, but they’ve been extremely quiet neighbors for thirteen years, cut them some slack as they go through the most fraught time of their lives.

[fiva-mccanless]

Yesterday I found a cicada missing its abdomen but still alive! Apparently, this happens because of a fungal infection that zombifies them!

[cherryblossomshadow]

Why am I just now hearing about the IRL sex pollen???

These articles are just line after line of the most insane things?! Like okay, the fungus makes the bugs "hypersexual" and gives them "prolonged stamina?" Sure. Whatever.

The fungus makes their butts fall off? And replaces them with a "white plug of fungus?"

The fungus makes male cicadas bisexual?

And it's not just that the bugs just start mating with anything that looks cicada-like, regardless of sex. No.

The infected males will literally. take on female mating behaviors. to seduce other male cicadas.

"Gender-bending, death-zombie fungus" was a literal quote that I had to read with my own two eyes from the Department Chair of Biology at George Washington University.

Edit: Receipts in the reblogs

[errantryraptor]

[mycoblogg]

freaky fungi fact : entomopathogenic fungi !!

entomopathogenic fungi are fungi that can kill or seriously disable insects.

this group of fungi lives in the soil & infects insects by penetrating their bodies to feed on them, & eventually kill them. they are sorted into five divisions (ascomycota, zygomycota, deuteromycota, oomycota & chytridiomycota), each with their own properties.

they have a big impact on insect population dynamics in soil.

there are currently over 800 different entomopathogenic fungi that have been identified.

below the cut are some images of insects that have been infected. CW for animal death + bugs / other critters + just general disturbing imagery.

a beetle parasitised by an unnamed entomopathogenic fungus. [source]

a cicada parasitised by the massospora cicadina fungus. [source]

a spider parasitised by an unnamed entomopathogenic fungus. [source]

[the lovely user who asked me to talk about this : source<3]

[steeplewack]

I love me some bugs and I love cicadas but I’m so so so glad I am not a cicada and therefore not at risk of turning into a saltshaker of death

[cicada-candy]

Tombsona but Bug. ✨️Go✨️

Cut for entomophobias sake.

-> Zero_One: Dragon Mantis

I have no real justification for this one I just. Its orange. And I want you to look at it.

-> Rust: Hercules Beetle

They fight everything always and are green next question.

-> Tesla: Pink-Spotted Cattleheart butterfly

Just a Pretty butterfly, you know. I feel this butterfly gives off the same Aloof Vibes as Tesla. Also the alternating stripes remind me of the patterns on his shoulder tubes.

-> Armstrong: Pharaoh Cicada.

A). Look at them

B). They have a Zombie Fungus! (Massospora Cicadina)

-> Doc: Blue Ant

This might be my weakest one yet I was trying to look for something in New Orleans and uh. NOLA I was unaware of ur bug game I apologise and also that is Too Much Bug for rn

A). Idk it's blue

B). A Blue Ant is not an Ant it's a wasp( read. Tombsona themes of identity n stuff)

C). There stings Fucking Hurt and Doc's spooky as hell and also?? Pretty down for murder yeah so we'll go with that

☆☆☆

✨️Bonus Round✨️

-> Geist: Ghostly Silk Moth

LOOKIT. PRETTY.

Honourable mention Picasso moth.

Because its white but has all the other colours in it hmmm hmmm yeah u see the vision? Yeah okay good good.

This was fun 👍 hope u like my bug choices if u Have Thoughts plz share

Friendship ended with Pharaoh Cicada. Coastal Scissor Grinder Cicada is my new number 1

[copper-sands]

"...they begin to Sing or make a noise from first they come out of the Earth till they die. The hindermost part rots off, and it does not appear to be any pain to them, for they still continue on Singing till they die."

a quick design of Vessel from Sleep Token as a Hollow Knight character, inspired by his mask(s), cicadas, and the Massospora cicadina fungus.

[onenicebugperday]

hi! I follow & love your tumblr! Wanted to ask a quick question, hope you know the answer... I adore cicadas! They're my favorite! I've been taking some pictures and filming some brood x cicadas and so far I haven't seen any with fungus taking over their bottom halves. I have; however, seen a few male cicadas with a tiny yellow spot or section down where they mate. I wanted to ask if this was the beginning stages of the fungus or an actual part of their genitalia? Can we find out? thanks!!!! :)

I'm afraid I really can't answer without seeing a photo of what you mean! The fungus, Massospora cicadina, is pretty distinct from the rest of the body, though. Here's an infected one:

If it's white or light yellow and chalky, it's likely the fungus. In early stages of infection the fungus is entirely within the abdomen, but then eventually causes the segments of the abdomen to fall off and exposes the fungus and its spores. So if there's fungus showing, likely the genitals have been destroyed, and they wouldn't be able to copulate.

Photo by knicki

[21stcenturyschizoidcat]

This may be of interest

i need to do psychedelic bugs and feel someone's body on mine tbh

[hphatecraft]

https://www.inverse.com/article/50438-massospora-cicadina-produces-psilocybin-and-cathinone

Imagine existing in a never-ending nightmare trip where you NEED to fuck but your ass and balls have rotted off but you got phantom dick syndrome so you keep on truckin and you go insane as you trick your friends into gay necrophilia what the fuck

[atamascolily]

psa: cicadas are coming, if they’re not already here, and it’s fine, I promise

Just so everyone knows, it’s periodical cicada season on the US East Coast (or will be, shortly, depending on where you live). This is from a screenshot of the Cicada Safari App on June 1, 2020, as posted by CicadaMania.com:

You know how oaks and beeches and other trees have mast years to increase the likelihood some seeds will survive? Periodical cicadas employ the exact same strategy. Unlike the annual cicadas, which emerge every year later in the summer, periodical cicada species spend 13 or 17 years as underground nymphs before emerging en masse to party.

(Unless, of course, they miss the boat, and emerge late--as you can see from the app above, many of the current cicada sightings are wayyyy off from where they should be. Awkward.) 

Fun fact: their scientific name is Magicicada, as if they were a freakin’ Pokemon because Carolus Linnaeus had a sense of humor.

I’m resigned to seeing a lot of freaked-out people posting about all the creepy bugs and how this is proof of the end times, but although there are lots of awful things about 2020 to date, I don’t consider this to be one of them. Although they can be creepy if you’re not expecting them--and loud--cicadas are harmless, and just here to have a good time for a few weeks before they die, even if their idea of a good time differs from yours. 

Just don’t try to pick one up. They won’t bite, but they will shake and rattle like an out-of-control windup toy at the slightest contact, and it is unnerving if they’re in your hand at the time.

Also, sometimes they are infected with Massospora cicadina fungal spores that literally explode from their abdomens and chop the cicadas in half while they’re   still alive, and it’s traumatic for everyone.