26. Zombie Insects’ Fatal Behaviors
Parasites don’t just control insect behavior—they often drive their hosts to fatal ends.
Some infected insects are compelled to drown themselves or approach predators, increasing the odds that the parasite will complete its life cycle inside a new host.
These dramatic changes serve the parasite’s needs, not the insect’s, showcasing the astonishing (and sometimes gruesome) complexity of nature’s survival strategies.