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Zombie-ant fungus

Zombie-ant fungus is a 4-star creature card from the Industrial Age. This fungus makes infected carpenter ants climb a plant and bite a leaf before they die.

Bonus by grade

GradeCopies neededBonus
Common0+12% stun chance per hit
Uncommon2+21.6% stun chance per hit
Rare5+36% stun chance per hit
Epic10+54% stun chance per hit
Legendary20+84% stun chance per hit

Duplicates raise the grade: Uncommon at 2, Rare at 5, Epic at 10, Legendary at 20.

Codex

  1. Common: Ophiocordyceps unilateralis infects carpenter ants.
  2. Uncommon: Infected ants leave their trail and climb a plant.
  3. Rare: They clamp their jaws onto a leaf vein.
  4. Epic: The fungus then grows a stalk from the ant's head.
  5. Legendary: Spores rain down onto ants below.

Field notes are reviewed regularly. Spot something wrong? Tell us.

Field guide

SizeNot well known
NestGrows inside a dead carpenter ant, usually on a twig or leaf vein near the ground
DietFeeds on the body of its ant host
DefenceHarmless to people; it infects insects, mainly carpenter ants
ActiveMakes ants bite down around solar noon, about 16 to 24 days after infection
Where it livesMostly tropical forests, plus some warm temperate forests

Did you know?

  • Healthy ants groom each other to remove spores and carry infected nestmates far from the nest.
  • The stalk grows from the back of the dead ant's head and releases sticky spores.
  • Another fungus attacks this one, so only about 6 to 7 per cent of its spore sacs are viable.

Sources: britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org

Codex sets