9 points

Their attempts at reproduction, doomed from the start, only fuel the virus’ spread, a group of scientists at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History told NPR in a statement.

Is this a fungus or a virus?

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It’s likely a fungus.

Cordyceps do this to other insects all the time. Hijacking insects and using them to spread their spores is there evolutionary niche.

Edit: I bothered to read the article here’s a Wikipedia link to the fungus in the article.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massospora_cicadina

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1 point

Can’t a fungus spread through direct contact?

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13 points
*

Sure, but that quote calls it a “virus” but the headline says “fungus”.

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6 points

Wow, totally missed that. Definitely weird

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8 points

What I’m hearing is I can get high by eating zombie cicadas.

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6 points

There’s got to be easier ways…

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7 points

There are but it involves spending lots of time in cow pastures.

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2 points

Not in some US states there isn’t.

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7 points

Why would that make anyone panic unless they thought by ‘horny zombies,’ the cicadas were going to rape them and then eat their brains. Which… they’re not that big. You can step on them.

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5 points

Ya, but there’s strength in horny numbers.

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4 points

Ok but what if the fungus also mutated them into human-sized cicadas?

wing rubbing intensifies

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5 points

“Flying salt shakers of death”. Wow, thanks, I didn’t need sleep or anything.

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2 points

Sleep is for the weak anyway.

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4 points

I won’t panic as I’m not a cicada.

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