Furia ithacensis

Appearance

Glassy or waxy appearance– more translucent than other molds. Infects flies, specifically Snipe Flies (Family Rhagionidae).

Behavior

Once infected, this fungus reprograms its host fly, which becomes zombie-like. The infected fly then lands on the underside of a leaf- often during the evening hours. By morning, the fly will already have been dead for hours. Its fungus-ridden cadaver will be perched on the leaf with its wings spread. Its dead body is bound to the leaf by hundreds of hyphae. The hyphae are specialized so that they grab the leaf with a serious sucker-like holdfast. At this point, the cadaver attracts new fly victims, especially lovesick males that are prompted by their odd sexual attraction to these fungus-infested flies. During the night, the fungus had been busy producing and expelling spores. These spores showered the environment surrounding the fly cadaver. So, as curious flies and lovelorn males inspect the cadaver, they pick up the fungal spores, and the infection cycle starts again.