More on cordyceps

It's not yet Friday, but I am going on a short holiday, and there won't be any posts until 5th August. So here is a video from David Attenborough, with extraordinary footage of parasitic cordyceps fungi infecting various insects, each fungus species specialising on its own host.

There is a twist in the story - towards the end of the clip he remarks that cordyceps infection helps maintain the diversity of the forest, as it is more likely to attack species that are the most numerous, therefore preventing them from taking over ecosystems.

Enjoy! I'll be back in 10 days, with lots of foraging photos and, if all goes to plan, a report from a very special fungi-related exhibition.