'Mind-Controlling' Fungus Turns Spiders Into 'Zombies'

Scientists have discovered a fungal species that infects spiders and appears to control their behavior, compelling them to leave their usual hiding places before succumbing to the deadly infection. Found in caves across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Gibellula attenboroughii—named after naturalist Sir David Attenborough—adds to the growing list of fungi capable of manipulating their hosts. The discovery raises questions about how fungi can alter animal behavior and what implications such mind-controlling mechanisms may have for science.

How Do Fungi Control Animals?

Researchers found that Gibellula attenboroughii infects orb-weaving cave spiders (Metellina merianae), altering their typically reclusive behavior and driving them into more exposed locations, which increases the spread of the infection​. Much like the well-documented Ophiocordyceps fungi that infect ants, this new species appears to control its hosts' movements before their death. The infected spiders leave their usual webbed lairs, move to more open spaces, and ultimately die while clinging to cave ceilings or walls. Scientists suspect the fungus produces behavior-altering metabolites, such as dopamine, which may influence the nervous system of its hosts. Similar compounds have been found in other fungi that manipulate insect behavior.

Dr. Harry Evans, one of the researchers involved in the study, explained that these fungi manipulate their hosts to maximize spore dispersal, ensuring the continuation of the infection cycle. Similar host-manipulation strategies have been observed in Ophiocordyceps fungi that infect ants in tropical rainforests.

What Other Fungi Act in This Way?

This discovery is one of many cases where fungi alter host behavior to facilitate their own reproduction. Ophiocordyceps, which infects ants, forces them to climb to elevated locations before killing them, allowing the fungus to release spores from their corpses. A similar fungus, Entomophthora muscae, infects houseflies, causing them to die in positions that maximize the spread of fungal spores to new hosts​. Historical records suggest that Gibellula fungi have been affecting spider populations in the British Isles for years. Researchers have found evidence of widespread fungal infections among spiders in Norfolk and Wales, raising concerns about potential ecological consequences​. While these fungi may play a role in regulating spider populations, scientists emphasize the need for further research to understand their broader impact on ecosystems.

Can Fungus Control Humans in This Way?

The idea of fungi controlling human behavior has been a staple of science fiction, most notably in The Last of Us, a television series inspired by the real-life Ophiocordyceps fungus. However, while certain fungi can produce psychoactive compounds, no known fungus has the capability to control human behavior in the same way they do with insects or spiders. According to epidemiologist Tara C. Smith, fungi like Ophiocordyceps are highly specialized and evolved to infect specific insect hosts, meaning they pose no direct risk to humans. "Because they [cordyceps] are so specialized, individual species of Ophiocordyceps fungi only infect a limited range of insects and do not infect humans at all," Smith wrote in Quanta Magazine. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about fungi? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.

Reference:

Evans, H. C., Fogg, T., Buddie, A. G., Yeap, Y. T., & Araújo, J. P. M. (2024). The araneopathogenic genus Gibellula (Cordycipitaceae: Hypocreales) in the British Isles, including a new zombie species on orb-weaving cave spiders (Metainae: Tetragnathidae). Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute. https://doi.org/10.3114/fuse.2025.15.07