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Host specificity of parasite manipulation: Zombie ant death location in Thailand vs. Brazil

Recently we presented how Camponotus ants in Thailand infected with the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis are behaviorally manipulated into dying where the conditions are optimal for fungal development. Death incurred in a very narrow zone of space and here we compare this highly specific manipulat...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Andersen, Sandra, Hughes, David
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Landes Bioscience 2012
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3376053/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22808322
http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/cib.18712
Descripción
Sumario:Recently we presented how Camponotus ants in Thailand infected with the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis are behaviorally manipulated into dying where the conditions are optimal for fungal development. Death incurred in a very narrow zone of space and here we compare this highly specific manipulation with a related system in Brazil. We show that the behavioral manipulation is less fine-tuned and discuss the potential explanations for this by examining differences in ant host and environmental characteristics.