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In a nightmarish discovery that has piqued scientific interest, a tarantula has been found infected by a "zombie" fungus that's well-known to video game fans
13:59, Wed, Feb 25, 2026 Updated: 15:09, Wed, Feb 25, 2026
A "zombie" fungus has been found infecting a large species of tarantula (Image: Getty Images)
A "zombie" fungus made famous by The Last of Us video game franchise has been discovered in the Amazon, infecting a "goliath" spider. In a nightmarish discovery that has piqued scientific interest, a tarantula has been found in the Brazilian rainforest infected by the infamous parasitic fungal genus Cordyceps.
Found in the Adolpho Ducke Reserve, a protected area of the Amazon rainforest near the city of Manaus, it signals the first time that such an interaction with a large tarantula has been observed there. It came to light as part of an expedition dedicated to tropical fungi, with studies completed by experts from three institutions: the Federal University of Santa Catarina, the University of Copenhagen, and the National Institute of Amazonian Research. The species of fungus, Cordyceps caloceroides, was found to be parasitising a specimen of Theraphosa blondii, also known as the Goliath birdeater, which, as its name suggests, is one of the largest spiders on the planet.
Cordyceps is notorious for its ability to infect insects and arthropods, eerily taking over their nervous systems and controlling their movements like puppets.
A student named Lara Fritzsche made the fascinating discovery as part of the Tropical Mycology Field Course, arranged by biologist João Paulo Machado de Araújo.
Professor Elisandro Ricardo Drechsler-Santos, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, said it's rare for parasitism of this kind to occur in arachnids, noting that such relationships are the consequence of processes that take place over millions of years.
In this particular instance, bright orange, tendril-like protrusions can be seen pushing their way out of the tarantula's body, a phenomenon that relates to the Cordyceps' reproductive phase.
The fungus was made famous by The Last of US franchise (Image: HBO)
In what will come as a welcome relief to any horrified readers, the researchers have reassured people that Cordyceps caloceroides poses no risk to human beings.
However, for those who dwell in the fictional world of The Last of Us — whether in the HBO series or the video games — it is a very different state of affairs, as cordyceps is the progenitor of the story's zombie apocalypse.
Speaking to A Crítica, Elisandro explained that there are various environmental conditions and species of spider involved, with this type of fungus boasting "high levels of specialisation".
He said: "For example, species X of the fungus attacks species Y of the ant. These are relationships that have often been established over 50 million years. Studies prove this in the case of ants. While with arachnids it is very rare and very difficult to find."
A different sample of a deceased Tarantula body that was infected by Cordyceps caloceroides (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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Elisandro added: "From the moment it infects, there are still many questions to be answered. Most likely, the spores fall onto the bodies of spiders, or they walk on soil where these spores have already germinated and end up becoming contaminated somehow."
"The Last of Us series did a great service to mycology worldwide. It helped awaken the curiosity people have about fungi, a group of organisms that has always been very important to humanity, but for a long time, and still in some ways continues to be, neglected by science and research funding."
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