MISSOURI, USA — There are imposters hidden among Missouri's emerging periodical cicadas . While the insects are near the end of their life cycle and begin mating, some cicadas have been hijacked and are using mating rituals to spread fungal spores rather than to reproduce. RELATED : Yes, cicadas are in full emergence in Missouri and southern Illinois.
Here's what that means The cicadas in question have been infected by Massospora cicadina, a fungal pathogen that affects only periodical cicadas by taking over their bodies and changing their mating behavior to increase the fungus' population. The fungus has been confirmed in Missouri, specifically around the area south of St. Louis.
"About one week after a cicada has emerged and become an adult, basically its abdomen falls apart," said Chris Hartley, the manager of collections, education and facilities at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Chesterfield. "It reveals that plug of white fungus mass that's been growing inside the cicadas .
.. which broadcasts more spores that will complete the fungus lifecycle.
" Credit: iNaturalist Butterfly House Entomologist Tad Yankoski found one of the infected specimens. The fungus infects cicadas while they're still in their nymph stage underground and slowly takes over the back half of their body one to two weeks after cicadas emerge. The infected cicadas then spread the fungus to healthy cicadas through mating.
"The whole goal of the cicada adult form is to find a mate and have more ba.
