‘Zombie Fungus’ Found in Scotland, but Don’t Worry — We’re Not in a The Last of Us Situation Just Yet – IGN

Now, as reported by The Times, the Gibellula fungus, which infects spiders through fungal spores and grows from within the body, eventually digesting the insect whole, has been found in Scotland. Like The Last of Us’ parasitic fungal infection in humans, the real-world Gibellula fungus can make spiders act “like zombies” before death by making them stick to the underside of leaves, allowing spores to spread more easily.

This isn’t the first time the Gibellula fungus has been recorded in Scotland, but it is incredibly rare. The Times said it’s only been found 10 times in the country over the past 70 years.

Amateur naturalist Ben Mitchell, who is part of the West Cowal Habitat Restoration Project on the west coast of Scotland and made the discovery, said: “It’s part of a group of fungi that are known for turning their victims into ‘zombies,’ compelling them to act in a certain way before killing them.

“Gibellula seems to make spiders move to the underside of leaves, before sticking them there. It’s maybe so that when they fruit, the spores are protected from the rain and can drop on to other unsuspecting spiders more easily.

“It’s a bit grim, but it’s all part of the remarkable natural world.”

Since The Last of Us hit PlayStation and, subsequently, our TV screens, the real-world Cordyceps has found itself under a microscope, with some wondering if the future the video game imagines might be possible in the real world. Indeed, Cordyceps has long been studied by the scientific community and is even found in a number of health supplements. But don’t worry – so far none of these “zombie fungi” have evolved to gain the ability to control a human mind.

So far.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.