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Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis

What is ophiocordyceps unilateralis?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Common name zombie-ant fungus[1]
Host carpenter ants (Camponotus)[3]
Type parasitic fungus[2]
Taxonomy Ascomycota; Hypocreales[3]
Distribution tropical forest ecosystems; pantropical[3]

Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a parasitic fungus that infects carpenter ants, alters their behavior, and kills them. It is often called the zombie-ant fungus.

Context

Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a parasitic fungus that infects carpenter ants and alters their behavior before killing them [3]. It is commonly called the zombie-ant fungus [1]. It is treated in some sources as a species complex rather than a single species [1]. It causes infected ants to leave the nest and die in exposed positions, often biting onto vegetation [5].

Documented claims

  • It infects ants and kills them after manipulating host behavior. [3]
  • It is treated in some sources as a species complex rather than a single species. [1]
  • It causes infected ants to leave the nest and die in exposed positions, often biting onto vegetation. [5]

Questions and answers

Can Ophiocordyceps unilateralis infect humans?

No, it is specialized to infect ants and does not infect humans [4].

Is The Last of Us possible in real life?

The scenario in The Last of Us is not realistic; the fungus is specific to ants and cannot infect humans [4].

Sources

  1. Zombie-ant fungus | Description, Infection, Life Cycle ... — britannica.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. What's Up with Zombie Ants? - The Library of Congress — loc.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Pathology — microbewiki.kenyon.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. “The Last of Us” Apocalypse Is Not Realistic, But Rising ... — medicine.yale.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  5. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis — inaturalist.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Things