Welcome to the Zombie Fungus Foray, an iNaturalist community science project in collaboration with the University of Central Florida for the discovery of Ophiocordyceps species! Ophiocordyceps are parasitic fungi that infect many species of insects globally, and while they typically go unnoticed, their life style is nothing short of amazing. These fungi, also known as "Zombie Fungi", infect their hosts and secrete mind-altering substances that cause the insects to behave in a way that is optimal for dispersal of fungal spores.
Join our project page at iNaturalist to upload your own pictures of Zombie Fungi!
The Zombie Fungus Foray utilizes the free-to-use app from National Geographic and the California Academy of Sciences, iNaturalist. iNaturalist allows the user to take pictures of wildlife and upload them to a database where they can be used for real life science. The app will analyze the image in real time and offer suggestions for what type of organism it in your picture, making it an excellent tool for learning about the world around you!
Find Zombie Ants Near You!
The iNaturalist app keeps GPS coordinates of uploaded pictures, allowing users to find certain organisms in their area. The Zombie Fungus Foray uses these GPS coordinates to lead "Zombie Ant Hunts" in the local community. You can also use this feature to search for Zombie Ants in your neck of the woods!
While the map feature is an excellent way to get started looking for Zombie ants near you, it is not a complete map. There are plenty more groups of Zombie Ants out there to be found. Be the first to identify new clusters of Zombie ants and contribute to the project! For more information on how to find Zombie ants, check out the PDF on our HOMEPAGE.