Zombies have long been a part of mankind’s folklore, and the line between fiction and reality is becoming ever more blurred worldwide. In fact, the possibility of a zombie outbreak among the human species has become so legitimate in some people’s minds that there are actually entire websites dedicated to survival in the face of such a disaster. Whether human zombification would come about through chemical or biological means, the general consensus seems to be that once a person has been turned from human to zombie, they no longer are capable of cognitive thought, emotion, or any other characteristics that make us sentient beings. Rather, the zombie mind is consumed with one objective only, which could be doing the bidding of its creator.
While the thought of such an event is pretty terrifying, the outbreak has already hit the animal kingdom. Several species of insects are adept at zombifying their prey in order to completely control it for their own purposes. One terrific example of this is the emerald cockroach wasp, also known as the jewel wasp. This tropical species, found primarily in the Pacific islands, Southeast Asia, and Africa, is known for its approach to ensuring the survival of future generations, which involves making a zombie out of an insect typically found in abundance in these regions: the cockroach. Although there are other insects that are known to paralyze their prey in order to provide a nursery and living food source for their offspring, the emerald cockroach wasp is unique for the fact that it only modifies the escape responses of the cockroach, leaving all other mobility intact. Check out this fascinating experiment researchers conducted in order to study the zombie-making behavior of the emerald cockroach wasp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyd8NmLJwcM
Image via entophile
