Spring heralds the arrival of Brood XIV cicadas in the eastern U.S., emerging after 17 years underground. While these cicadas engage in their mating rituals, many face a grim fate due to the fungus Massospora cicadina, which infects them, turning them into puppets that lure healthy cicadas into mating. The fungus alters their behavior and physiology, causing hypersexuality and spreading its spores, contributing to an intricate ecological dynamic that's been evolving for millions of years.
M. cicadina causes a bizarre mating behavior in cicadas, where infected males attract healthy ones by mimicking female signals, resulting in a gruesome cycle of infection.
As cicadas emerge from underground, they signal the arrival of spring, but for millions, mating becomes a nightmarish parody due to the parasitic fungus.
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