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Cordyceps saussurei - side view, La Isla Escondida, Colombia As if this night tour didn&#039;t have enough highlights already, here comes one that opened a new world to us: cordyceps. We&#039;ve once saw in a documentary a creepy fungus infecting an ant, controlling it like a zombie, and ultimately killing it. Here was our first meeting with one such species of Cordyceps, where there&#039;s about 400 in total.<br />
<br />
This little wasp was infected and killed by the very lengthy fruiting body of a cordyceps. The species ID is tentative, based on the target (wasp), appearance of the cordyceps, and fruiting body. Reference:<br />
<a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2720779" rel="nofollow">https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2720779</a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rainforests/31967115218/" rel="nofollow">https://www.flickr.com/photos/rainforests/31967115218/</a><br />
<br />
If this assessment is correct, note that Cordyceps saussurei is also called Hirsutella saussurei. Yet Hirsutella saussurei is considered part of Cordyceps in their sexually productive stage. <br />
<br />
<figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/71518/cordyceps_saussurei_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html" title="Cordyceps saussurei, La Isla Escondida, Colombia"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/71518_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=XGdHMY7gpDJ5rqyq0%2F7p%2FHtli70%3D" width="200" height="138" alt="Cordyceps saussurei, La Isla Escondida, Colombia As if this night tour didn&#039;t have enough highlights already, here comes one that opened a new world to us: cordyceps. We&#039;ve once saw in a documentary a creepy fungus infecting an ant, controlling it like a zombie, and ultimately killing it. Here was our first meeting with one such species of Cordyceps, where there&#039;s about 400 in total.<br />
<br />
This little wasp was infected and killed by the very lengthy fruiting body of a cordyceps. The species ID is tentative, based on the target (wasp), appearance of the cordyceps, and fruiting body. Reference:<br />
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2720779<br />
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rainforests/31967115218/<br />
<br />
If this assessment is correct, note that Cordyceps saussurei is also called Hirsutella saussurei. Yet Hirsutella saussurei is considered part of Cordyceps in their sexually productive stage. <br />
<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/71519/cordyceps_saussurei_-_side_view_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/71520/cordyceps_saussurei_-_side_view_ii_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,Cordyceps saussurei,La Isla Escondida,Putumayo,South America,World" /></a></figure><br />
<figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/71520/cordyceps_saussurei_-_side_view_ii_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html" title="Cordyceps saussurei - side view II, La Isla Escondida, Colombia"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/71520_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=fu6dklKO9ZuoywwxHtRcFnDpNtg%3D" width="146" height="152" alt="Cordyceps saussurei - side view II, La Isla Escondida, Colombia As if this night tour didn&#039;t have enough highlights already, here comes one that opened a new world to us: cordyceps. We&#039;ve once saw in a documentary a creepy fungus infecting an ant, controlling it like a zombie, and ultimately killing it. Here was our first meeting with one such species of Cordyceps, where there&#039;s about 400 in total.<br />
<br />
This little wasp was infected and killed by the very lengthy fruiting body of a cordyceps. The species ID is tentative, based on the target (wasp), appearance of the cordyceps, and fruiting body. Reference:<br />
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2720779<br />
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rainforests/31967115218/<br />
<br />
If this assessment is correct, note that Cordyceps saussurei is also called Hirsutella saussurei. Yet Hirsutella saussurei is considered part of Cordyceps in their sexually productive stage. <br />
<br />
<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/71518/cordyceps_saussurei_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/71519/cordyceps_saussurei_-_side_view_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,Cordyceps saussurei,La Isla Escondida,Putumayo,South America,World" /></a></figure> Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,Cordyceps saussurei,La Isla Escondida,Putumayo,South America,World Click/tap to enlarge

Cordyceps saussurei - side view, La Isla Escondida, Colombia

As if this night tour didn't have enough highlights already, here comes one that opened a new world to us: cordyceps. We've once saw in a documentary a creepy fungus infecting an ant, controlling it like a zombie, and ultimately killing it. Here was our first meeting with one such species of Cordyceps, where there's about 400 in total.

This little wasp was infected and killed by the very lengthy fruiting body of a cordyceps. The species ID is tentative, based on the target (wasp), appearance of the cordyceps, and fruiting body. Reference:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2720779
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rainforests/31967115218/

If this assessment is correct, note that Cordyceps saussurei is also called Hirsutella saussurei. Yet Hirsutella saussurei is considered part of Cordyceps in their sexually productive stage.

Cordyceps saussurei, La Isla Escondida, Colombia As if this night tour didn't have enough highlights already, here comes one that opened a new world to us: cordyceps. We've once saw in a documentary a creepy fungus infecting an ant, controlling it like a zombie, and ultimately killing it. Here was our first meeting with one such species of Cordyceps, where there's about 400 in total.<br />
<br />
This little wasp was infected and killed by the very lengthy fruiting body of a cordyceps. The species ID is tentative, based on the target (wasp), appearance of the cordyceps, and fruiting body. Reference:<br />
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2720779<br />
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rainforests/31967115218/<br />
<br />
If this assessment is correct, note that Cordyceps saussurei is also called Hirsutella saussurei. Yet Hirsutella saussurei is considered part of Cordyceps in their sexually productive stage. <br />
<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/71519/cordyceps_saussurei_-_side_view_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/71520/cordyceps_saussurei_-_side_view_ii_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,Cordyceps saussurei,La Isla Escondida,Putumayo,South America,World

Cordyceps saussurei - side view II, La Isla Escondida, Colombia As if this night tour didn't have enough highlights already, here comes one that opened a new world to us: cordyceps. We've once saw in a documentary a creepy fungus infecting an ant, controlling it like a zombie, and ultimately killing it. Here was our first meeting with one such species of Cordyceps, where there's about 400 in total.<br />
<br />
This little wasp was infected and killed by the very lengthy fruiting body of a cordyceps. The species ID is tentative, based on the target (wasp), appearance of the cordyceps, and fruiting body. Reference:<br />
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2720779<br />
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rainforests/31967115218/<br />
<br />
If this assessment is correct, note that Cordyceps saussurei is also called Hirsutella saussurei. Yet Hirsutella saussurei is considered part of Cordyceps in their sexually productive stage. <br />
<br />
<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/71518/cordyceps_saussurei_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/71519/cordyceps_saussurei_-_side_view_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,Cordyceps saussurei,La Isla Escondida,Putumayo,South America,World

    comments (1)

  1. Niiiiice!! Posted 6 years ago

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Cordyceps saussurei is a parasitic fungus in the Cordyceps genus. It is also known as Hirsutella saussurei, where Hirsutella saussurei in its sexually productive stage is considered part of the Cordyceps genus.

Similar species: Hypocreales
Species identified by Ferdy Christant
View Ferdy Christant's profile

By Ferdy Christant

All rights reserved
Uploaded Dec 23, 2018. Captured Oct 19, 2018 21:07.
  • NIKON D850
  • f/20.0
  • 1/60s
  • ISO64
  • 105mm