Much like the “zombie” fungi that prey on ants and flies, researchers—and a TV crew—have discovered … [+]
Zombie fungi are nothing new. For decades, scientists have studied nightmarish fungi like Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, which turns ants into mindless climbers before sprouting out of their heads, or Entomophthora muscae, which infects houseflies and makes them spread their wings in a death pose to maximize fungal spore dispersal.
These real-world parasites have inspired everything from horror movies to the hit HBO series The Last of Us, which envisions a future where a mutated Cordyceps fungus jumps to humans.
But while The Last of Us is pure fiction, a chance discovery in Northern Ireland proves that nature is still ahead of Hollywood.
This time, the victim isn’t ants or flies—it’s spiders. And the culprit is Gibellula attenboroughii, a newly discovered species of “zombie” fungus that hijacks its hosts before consuming them from the inside out.
Its discovery story, however, is just as fascinating as its biology.
It All Started In An Abandoned Storage Shed
In 2021, volunteers assisting a BBC documentary crew on the nature series, Winterwatch, stumbled upon something strange in an abandoned Victorian gunpowder store at Castle Espie, a wetland reserve near Belfast.
Hanging from the ceiling was the shriveled body of an orb-weaving cave spider, Metellina merianae, covered in a delicate, white fungus that had erupted from its exoskeleton.
Uncertain of what they had found, the volunteers sent photographs to mycologist Dr. Harry Evans at CAB International. Evans suspected it was something unusual and requested a specimen.
Once the BBC finished filming, the fungus-covered spider was sent to his lab for closer examination. What Evans and his colleagues found was a species unlike any other previously recorded in the British Isles.
Further investigation revealed that this wasn’t a one-time occurrence.
Cave explorer Tim Fogg, inspired by the BBC’s findings, reported spotting similar fungal-coated spiders in cave systems across Ireland. When researchers examined the specimens he collected, they confirmed the same fungal species was at work.
In honor of Sir David Attenborough, whose nature documentaries had inspired generations of scientists—including those studying fungi—the researchers named it Gibellula attenboroughii.
Gibellula Attenboroughii Works A Lot Like The Other ‘Zombie’ Fungi
Much like its infamous fungal cousins, G. attenboroughii begins its attack when a microscopic spore lands on an unsuspecting spider. The fungus penetrates the spider’s tough exoskeleton with a germ tube—a root-like structure that drills its way inside.
Once inside, it spreads through the spider’s body, multiplying and consuming internal tissues while releasing chemicals that alter the spider’s behavior.
Infected spiders exhibit a disturbing shift in behavior.
Normally reclusive and web-bound, they abandon their hidden lairs and crawl into the open, clinging to cave walls or ceilings—prime locations for catching air currents. Eventually, the spider dies, but its body remains eerily frozen in place.
This final resting position isn’t accidental. By placing the host in an exposed, elevated position, the fungus maximizes its chances of dispersing spores effectively. Post-mortem, G. attenboroughii erupts from the spider’s exoskeleton, covering it in a tangled lattice of white filaments known as mycelium.
From this mycelial mass, long, spore-producing structures called synnemata emerge, giving the corpse a ghostly, webbed appearance, according to a January 2025 study published in Fungal Systematics and Evolution. As wind currents pass through the caves, they carry the fungus’s spores to new hosts, ensuring the cycle continues.
While G. attenboroughii’s behavior can be closely linked to that of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, there are a few key differences.
Unlike Ophiocordyceps, which forces ants to clamp onto vegetation before a fruiting body erupts from their heads, Gibellula species spread in a finer, more filamentous way, using the entire spider’s body as a fungal scaffolding.
Another distinction is that Ophiocordyceps primarily infects insects, whereas Gibellula fungi are specialized for arachnids, with G. attenboroughii specifically infecting orb-weaving cave spiders such as Metellina merianae and Meta menardi.
A large and impressive mature female Meta menardi, seen from in front on a rusty drain cover. Jaws … [+]
G. Attenboroughii Is Not The Only Fungus That Targets Spiders
While G. attenboroughii is newly discovered, it isn’t alone. The Gibellula genus, which comprises over 30 species, is known for parasitizing spiders.
Each species has evolved its own unique methods for manipulating and consuming its host, but the general pattern remains eerily consistent—infection, behavioral hijacking, death and spore dispersal.
For example, G. pulchra has been recorded infecting various spider species in tropical forests, where it similarly forces its hosts into exposed positions before coating them in a fuzzy fungal growth.
Another species, G. leiopus, has been found in the Amazon rainforest exhibiting nearly identical behavior, suggesting this fungal strategy is a globally recurring phenomenon.
Interestingly, despite being found in the cool caves of Ireland, G. attenboroughii is part of a lineage of fungi that predominantly thrive in warm, tropical environments.
Its ability to survive in temperate caves raises questions about how it evolved to withstand lower temperatures and whether other undiscovered Gibellula species might be lurking in similar habitats across Europe.
Some may find G. attenboroughii’s behavior creepy, while others might appreciate the ingenuity at play. Take this 2-minute quiz and find your place on the Animal Attitude Scale.
