#[massospora cicadina]

[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]