tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334048668354898660.post7327819861461711473..comments2024-01-08T19:01:37.331+00:00Comments on Donegal Wildlife: Double delayStuarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15225743105419715015noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334048668354898660.post-86987555324542921952011-05-17T12:18:54.346+01:002011-05-17T12:18:54.346+01:00Gill, it's a matter of timing. Ingestion first...Gill, it's a matter of timing. Ingestion first, then progression into the abdomen. Dunno how it makes that jump. Maybe it just grows and fills the abdominal space. Perhaps it needs specific hormones/chemicals to initiate the growth (some fungi are known to be responsive to chemical stimuli, leading to one fungus being triggered by the fruiting of another).Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15225743105419715015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334048668354898660.post-1843968152362273392011-05-17T12:03:05.531+01:002011-05-17T12:03:05.531+01:00[2008] Hmm - I see there you say it invades the re...[2008] Hmm - I see there you say it invades the reproductive tract....<br /><br /><< I often muse about how this controlling mechanism works, and I think it might be something quite simple, such as making the fly dislike darkness, forcing it to try to find the lightest place>> interesting thought - I'd always assumed it was chemical in some way - a lot of insect behaviour seems to be driven by chemicals / "smells". It would be an interesting piece of research to try and fathom what does drive it.Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15736035484977149890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334048668354898660.post-12056087634789776222011-05-16T11:52:34.055+01:002011-05-16T11:52:34.055+01:00Gill, the spores of E. muscae are sticky. I showed...Gill, the spores of E. muscae are sticky. I showed them on http://donegal-wildlife.blogspot.com/2008/03/fly-killing-fungus.html in 2008.<br /><br />That post explains the process, but I can summarise it here: The wind-blown spores adhere to any surface they land on and sooner or later a fly will accidentally ingest one. I have only ever found these in females, and I suppose the egg-bearing abdomen is more suited for holding a large volume of fungal material. I suspect that the spores need high humidity to remain sticky, so that might explain why we have more of them than you do.<br /><br />The bit that fascinates me most is the ability of the fungus to control the movement and configuration of the fly. Even more amazing is the fact that other Entomophthora species affect other orders such as lepidoptera: the 'Summit Disease' can force caterpillars to move to the top of plants as well. So it's not just one type of creature that they can control, and the movement mechanisms for caterpillars are very different from those in flies. I often muse about how this controlling mechanism works, and I think it might be something quite simple, such as making the fly dislike darkness, forcing it to try to find the lightest place: the top of a plant. It's fascinating anyway.Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15225743105419715015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334048668354898660.post-9748296531343626582011-05-16T11:26:53.474+01:002011-05-16T11:26:53.474+01:00Entomophthora muscae fascinates me. (It seems to b...Entomophthora muscae fascinates me. (It seems to be much commoner in Donegal than here - maybe something to do with the damper air?) Does it "enter the digestive tract" as part of something the fly eats?<br /><br />It only seems to infect female flies - is there a known reason for that?<br /><br />That's a particularly good photo of it, Stuart (even by your high standards).Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15736035484977149890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334048668354898660.post-4503085008989863212011-05-14T06:46:17.039+01:002011-05-14T06:46:17.039+01:00It is so amazing to me how the natural world synch...It is so amazing to me how the natural world synchronizes everything. It is truly a wonder.Emma Springfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10543689047463574012noreply@blogger.com