Here is some microbiological horror movie shit that actually exists: heckin’ exploding “zombie” caterpillars.
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside in England have reportedly found caterpillars who, when infected by the baculovirus (extremely good villain name imho), climb to the top of plants to die. Then the baculovirus bursts out of the dead bug to find a new host body. ~shudders~
The Trust’s staff found the skins of oak eggar caterpillars at the top of small bushes in Wimmarleigh Moss Nature Reserve in Lancashire – a strange thing, as these caterpillars usually hide in the undergrowth to be closer to the heather and bilberry on which they feed.
Research suggests the virus changes the way the caterpillars respond to light, so that they climb to higher and more dangerous places where they then die.
The Trust’s Mosslands Manager Dr Chris Miller liked the insect carnage to a “zombie horror film“.
I was carrying out a large heath butterfly survey on Winmarleigh Moss and noticed a caterpillar hanging from the end of a branch of a small bush. Later on I saw another one hanging from a tall blade of grass both were dead but otherwise intact.
Whilst checking some other branches I noticed small scraps of caterpillar skin on a couple of branches suggesting the two I had seen where not the only ones to be affected. It’s pretty gruesome when you think about it.
The internet is not coping with this recent development in parasitic microorganisms mind-controlling hapless future-butterflies.
https://twitter.com/emmablackery/status/893202611960246272
Exploding zombie caterpillars??? Yeah outdoor activities are canceled.
— RE6EL (@larevolutionn) August 4, 2017
Video about exploding zombie caterpillars: “Gotta climb high and die”
Me: me too same, guy.
— A Juudaime-a! (@GraveyardThrill) August 4, 2017
A lot of crazy things have happened this year but I did not think exploding zombie caterpillars would be one of them
— mikey (@marinauxx) August 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/guessonomics/status/893209245168095237
https://twitter.com/swilhour18/status/893255757839433728
FWIW, I though Exploding Zombie Caterpillars was one of Kraftwerk’s most underrated albums. https://t.co/oYLpJ0aTne
— THE Crapplefratz (Accept no substitutes) (@Crapplefratz) August 4, 2017
https://t.co/66x4hKLMSc
Can’t help making a connection between zombie caterpillars and the GOP. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂— CoolVirginMary (@mystbabe777) August 4, 2017
Virus Is Causing “Zombie” Caterpillars To Explode – not sure which way to feel about this headline, please weigh in.
— Doug Benson (@DougBenson) August 3, 2017
Exploding zombie caterpillars in Lancashire 😱 @Lancswildlife https://t.co/JzWFG4jwcx pic.twitter.com/uXtOdKETDW
— BBC Lancashire (@BBCLancashire) August 2, 2017
