“Sex-hungry” zombies invade the United States
In recent months, the United States has experienced, and continues to experience, several invasions of insects. Trillions of cicadas have emerged from the ground to invade the northwest of the country. And now, it’s crickets' turn.
The Mormon cricket is out in the western United States. This omnivorous, but also cannibalistic, insect has already covered northern Nevada. In its constant search for food, the Mormon cricket will “feed on anything that comes within reach of its mandibles, causing a lot of damage to nearby farms,” reports the Huffington Post. Its name is also a reference to the 19th century, a time when this cricket continually destroyed Mormon fields. In addition, it was shown, in a 2006 study published in the journal PNAS, that the insect's diet was “cruelly” lacking of protein and salt. To make up for this deficiency, the Mormon cricket therefore feeds on its fellows. “This behavior is more opportunistic than predatory. If one is injured, it will probably be devoured. They also scavenge the remains of their dead or crushed comrades, which is not uncommon in urban areas,” specifies the Huffington Post.
At the same time, cicadas, which have already taken up residence in a large area of the country, impress with their “giant” urine, jets visible from trees, where they pile up. Not to mention a sexually transmitted disease that makes them mutate into zombies. It's a fungus, called Massospora cicadina, which is at the origin of the disease. “The latter settles in their abdomen and a white and chalky plug bursts, causing their genitals to fall off.” The cicadas don't die from it but continue to live like zombies. They stand out from other healthy species because of their thirst for sex. “In order to propagate, the fungus orders the cicada to mate.”
Luckily, this species of cicada is not contagious to humans.
(MH with AsD - Source : Huffington Post - Illustration : Unsplash)