PLANET EARTH Jungles

The vast majority still unknown to science, but one thing's for certain without fungi, rainforests could not exist. Nothing goes to waste in the rainforest. The fungi become food for others like these beetle larvae（甲虫幼虫）. Finding the fungus isn't a problem for the grubs since their caring parents actually show them the way. Incredibly, 80% of all insects live in jungles fewer more successful than the ants.



There can be 8 million individuals in a single hectare. but jungle ants don't have it all their own way. These bullet ants are showing some worrying symptoms. Spores from a parasitic fungus（寄生真菌） called cordyceps（冬虫夏草） have infiltrated their bodies and their minds. It's infected brain directs this ant upwards then, utterly disorientated, it grips a stem with its mandibles（下颌骨）.



Those afflicted, that are discovered by the workers are quickly taken away and dumped far away from the colony. It seems extreme, but this is the reason why. Like something out of science fiction the fruiting body of the cordyceps erupts（爆发，喷发） from the ant's head. It can take three weeks to grow and when finished, the deadly spores will burst from its tip, then, any ant in the vicinity will be in serious risk of death.