The ‘zombie mushroom’ has an enemy

The new species has been named Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata. It was discovered in the Malaysian state of Sabah, in the Danum Valley area, following an examination of a dead ant.

The species was officially described in the journal *Phytotaxa* in 2026.

Put simply, in this story, the hunter became the hunted. First, a fungus from the Ophiocordyceps group infects an ant and takes over its body. Then, a new fungus invades this ‘zombie fungus’ and feeds on its tissues.

Details

Ophiocordyceps fungi are known for infecting insects, including ants. They can alter the host’s behaviour, kill it, and then sprout from its body, spreading spores.

But the fungus found in Borneo acts differently. It does not control the ant’s nervous system. It appears later in this terrifying chain of events: once another parasitic fungus has developed inside the insect. The new Pleurocordyceps effectively parasitises the parasite — which is why it is called a hyperparasite.

The new species has another unusual feature — horn-like structures. It is precisely because of these that it has been named cornusynnemata. The University of Malaysia Sabah reports that this characteristic distinguishes it from other known members of the genus Pleurocordyceps.

What does ‘hyperparasite’ mean?

A parasite lives off its host. A hyperparasite, on the other hand, is a parasite of a parasite.

In this case, the chain looks like this: the ant becomes a host for the ‘zombie fungus’, and the new fungus uses the ‘zombie fungus’ itself as a food source. Therefore, the headline ‘the zombie fungus has an enemy’ applies almost literally here.

This is neither science fiction nor an exaggeration, but a real ecological connection: in the tropical rainforest, even parasites can have parasites of their own.

Why this is interesting

Discoveries like this show just how complex life in the tropical rainforest can be. From the outside, we see the jungle as a sea of green, but inside there is a constant struggle — insects, fungi, plants and microorganisms are linked in very delicate chains.

For science, this is important not merely as a ‘strange discovery’. Fungi that parasitise other fungi or insects may be useful for studying biological pest control and searching for new bioactive compounds. However, this is currently just potential, rather than a ready-made medicine or agricultural product.

Background

The new species was discovered during field research conducted by the Institute of Tropical Biology and Conservation at the University of Malaysia Sabah. The specimen was found attached to a dead ant from the Danum Valley — a remote area in southern Sabah.

The article in *Phytotaxa* focuses on the taxonomy and phylogeny of fungi of the genus *Pleurocordyceps* associated with ants and cicadas from Malaysia. The authors used morphological and molecular analysis to describe a new species and refine the records for this group.

Source

Study: Muhammad Shahbaz et al., “Taxonomy and phylogeny of Pleurocordyceps (Polycephalomycetaceae, Hypocreales) associated with ants and cicadas from Malaysia, including a new species and new records”, Phytotaxa, 2026.