Cave explorers have discovered a terrifying breed of so-called ‘zombie’ spiders, found feasting on fungus in caves along the Irish coastline.
In a real-life scenario reminiscent of the hit TV series The Last of Us, previously unexplored cave systems have identified these eerie arachnids. The newly discovered fungal species responsible for their zombification has been named Gibellula attenboroughii, in honour of renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
Scientists from the Natural History Museum of Denmark and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, made the remarkable discovery while exploring caves along the Irish coastline for a BBC Winterwatch programme. During their investigation, they stumbled upon the so-called 'zombie' spiders.
While studying a nearby fungus, the team confirmed they had discovered a species that had never been documented. In honour of Attenborough’s contributions to natural history broadcasting, they named the fungus Gibellula attenboroughii. As controller of BBC Two between 1965 and 1969, Attenborough played a pivotal role in developing the Natural History Unit, which later produced the nature series where the discovery first emerged.
The researchers found the Gibellula attenboroughii spiders living in cave systems across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To date, no other sightings of the species have been recorded.
The team observed the spiders clinging to cave walls and ceilings after leaving their webs and lairs upon becoming infected with the fungus. The fungus forces the spiders to venture into open spaces before it consumes their bodies.
Speleologist Tim Fogg first spotted the creatures, captured photographs and sent them to the researchers for analysis. “The caving community in Ireland has been asked to look out for them, but they are difficult to spot,” he said. “The huge interest in the discovery is no doubt driven by The Last of Us, which revolves around a fungus with eerily similar effects.”
Set in 2033, The Last of Us depicts a world devastated by a fungal-based, brain-altering pandemic that has infected over 60 per cent of the global population, resulting in widespread chaos and panic.
The discovery of Gibellula attenboroughii has been published in Fungal Systematics and Evolution.
Scientists now plan to explore the fungus’s role in spider population dynamics and investigate the metabolites it produces, allowing it to exploit such a specific ecological niche.
