时差N小时 蚂蚁感染真菌变"僵尸“(下)

（单词翻译）

Experiments have shown that if infected ants are moved from those locations, the fungus¹ won't develop. Once in ideal locations, the ants bite down on the leaf's vein² and the fungus grows hypha, or fungal threads, throughout their bodies. That sounds gross. It gets grosser more than that.When the fungus is large enough, it sends up a reproductive shoot called a fruiting body. The ant looks like it has a horn or antlers growing out of its head. New spores³ rain down from the fruiting body and infect more ants.

实验显示如果感染上真菌的蚂蚁被从这些地方移走，真菌就会停止生长。一旦找到适于真菌生长的位置，蚂蚁会咬住叶片的叶脉，真菌就会长出菌丝穿过蚂蚁的大脑。那听起来真讨人厌。事实上要远比这儿令人讨厌。当真菌生长到足够大时，它会射出可繁殖的子实体。蚂蚁看上去头部涨了犄角或鹿角，新的孢子从子实体上脱落，会感染上更多的蚂蚁。