Six new species of zombie mushrooms discovered in Mexico

Mexican researchers have discovered six species of entomopathogenic fungi, commonly known as "zombie fungi", capable of infecting ants and spiders, manipulating their behavior until causing their death.

The study, conducted by scientist César Ballesteros in the tropical forests of Jalisco, illustrates how these parasites force insects to go to specific places called cemeteries to encourage the growth and reproduction of the fungus itself.

"When it enters the ant's body, it begins to produce a substance made up of specialized metabolites that interact with its nervous system and modify its behavior," explained the researcher.

One of the newly discovered species was named "Ophiocordyceps deltoroi" in homage to the well-known Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Ballesteros justified the decision by declaring: "For all the work he has done in cinema with the theme of terror and fantasy, what could be better than dedicating to it a kind of mushroom that science defines as zombie?".

In addition to ecological relevance, these organisms open new medical frontiers. The substances they produce could in fact be studied to develop drugs useful for combating complex pathologies such as cancer, tuberculosis and multiple sclerosis.