Malaysian Scientists Identify New Fungus Species That Preys on Zombie Fungus

Malaysian scientists identified a new species of parasitic fungus that feeds on Ophiocordyceps, the so-called zombie fungus that infects ants. The discovery occurred in the Danum Valley in Sabah, Malaysia, after researchers examined a dead ant collected during field work.

The new species belongs to the genus Pleurocordyceps and was named Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata for its horn-shaped structure.

Jaya Seelan Sathiya Seelan, deputy director of the University of Malaysia Sabah's Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, said the fungus acts as a specialized hyperparasite. "Rather than manipulating the insect's nervous system itself, Pleurocordyceps infiltrates and feeds directly on the thriving Ophiocordyceps tissue inside the host," Seelan told AFP.

Samples were gathered during multiple field trips by the institute.

The findings appeared in the New Zealand Journal of Botany and were also published in Phytotaxa in April. Seelan stated that Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata is the first known member of its genus to display the distinct horn-shaped feature. The researchers described the find as evidence of the scientific value of Borneo's rainforests.

During the same expeditions, the team documented a new species of spider-killing fungus that spreads spores through arachnids before killing them. Seelan said the newly recorded fungi could serve as sources for antimicrobial drugs and as biocontrol agents against agricultural pests. Dr.

Jim Kronstad, a microbiologist at the University of British Columbia, told CBS News that cordyceps fungi cannot adapt to humans. 6 degrees Fahrenheit and immune defenses prevent most fungal species from surviving in people, he said.