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The haunting hollow skeleton of a fly is all that remains after being consumed alive by a parasitoid fungi (Ophiocordyceps cf. dipterigena) in the New Guinean rainforest. Two different types of fruiting bodies have emerged from the fly's body: the dorsal 'mushrooms' (ascostroma) are perfectly positioned to release tiny spores on the fungi's next victim. The tropics hold a great diversity of these entomopathogenic fungi, with undoubtedly many undescribed species, each apparently tailored to target specific insect hosts. West Papua, Indonesia.
- Copyright
- © Chien C. Lee
- Image Size
- 4684x3123 / 5.7MB
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- Keywords
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Ascomycota, Diptera, Hypocreales, Indonesia, Insecta, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, Ophiocordycipitaceae, Papua, Sordariomycetes, Southeast Asia, animal, arthropod, entomopathogenic, entomopathogenic fungus, fauna, fly, fungi, fungus, insect, invertebrate, parasit, parasite, parasitic, parasitism, tropical
- Contained in galleries
- Insects, Interactions, New Guinea, Parasites & Parasitoids, Fungi

