Month: September 2022

EXOTIC LIFE CYCLE. "Uninfected gammarids dive downwards when disturbed and cover themselves in the mud. On the other hand, gammarids infected by parasitic worms glide along the water surface to seek a solid support. This typical clinging behaviour exposes the gammarid to predators such as frogs, fish and birds, which are the parasites’ next host." https://lnkd.in/e2g9KSe View in LinkedIn

PARASITES MAKE SUICIDAL GRASSHOPPERS. "Hairworms, which live inside grasshoppers, pump the insects with a cocktail of chemicals that makes them commit suicide by leaping into water. The parasites then swim away from their drowning hosts to continue their life cycle." http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0901_050901_wormparasite.html View in LinkedIn

SUICIDAL HOPPERS. "When the grasshopper hits the water, the worm comes out of its rear end and then swims off to find a mate. The worm is about three or four times longer than the host—it's amazing." (See related video.) http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0901_050901_wormparasite.html View in LinkedIn

MIND CONTROL. "During a Gordian worm...infection of a grasshopper...a protein...was differentially expressed in the host’s central nervous system (CNS). This protein is known to be involved in control of geotactic behaviour, suggesting that it may play a role in the observed behaviour." https://lnkd.in/e2g9KSe View in LinkedIn

REACTIONS OF HOSTS TO PARASITES vary enormously, ranging from self-medication, heat therapy, cold therapy, and suicide. The greater good of the social unit is the apparent motivation of the suicide option. View in LinkedIn

COOPERATION WITH THE PARASITE. "Infected hosts might apply a ‘mafia-like’ strategy where they cooperate with manipulative parasites instead of resisting them, thereby reducing fitness costs associated with manipulation (when cooperation is less costly than resistance)." https://lnkd.in/eMBtiKq View in LinkedIn

SELF-MEDICATION. "The consumption of natural substances that help an organism combat parasitic infection has been observed in a number of vertebrate and invertebrate species...anting behavior in birds refers to the act of rubbing crushed ants, plants, millipedes or other substances onto feathers and skin to exploit the anti-parasitic properties of these substances." http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavior-altering_parasites_and_parasitoids View in LinkedIn

FOR THE GREATER GOOD. "By killing itself, the host kills the parasite, thereby reducing the chances that the parasite will infect its kin. Suicidal behavior has been documented in pea aphids...infected with a braconid wasp...When given the opportunity, infected pea aphids are more likely to participate in risky behavior that leads to death by a predator than non-infected aphids. This behavior has been shown to decrease the risk of offspring infection." http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavior-altering_parasites_and_parasitoids View in LinkedIn

BEHAVIORAL FEVER. "Zebrafish display behavioural fever that acts to promote extensive and highly specific temperature-dependent changes in the brain transcriptome. The observed coupling of the immune response to fever acts at the gene–environment level to promote a robust, highly specific time-dependent anti-viral response that, under viral infection, increases survival." https://lnkd.in/enUcngE View in LinkedIn

HEATING DEFENSE. "Caterpillars of Platyprepia virginalis that had previously been infected by the tachinid parasitoid, Thelaira americana, were more likely to bask on dead vegetation than were unparasitized caterpillars. This behavior was associated with elevated body temperatures compared to individuals that were not basking." https://lnkd.in/ers5cYr View in LinkedIn