Parasitic flies turn fire ants into zombies (Not a misplaced movie review.)

[laststeamtrain]

Parasitic flies turn fire ants into zombies
By Bill Hanna, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Bill Hanna, Fort Worth Star-telegram Tue May 12, 2:09 pm ET

It sounds like something out of science fiction: zombie fire ants. But it's all too real.

Fire ants wander aimlessly away from the mound.

Eventually their heads fall off, and they die.

The strange part is that researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M's AgriLife Extension Service say making "zombies" out of fire ants is a good thing.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090512/sc_mcclatchy/3231765

[thunder rising]

1. It was on an episode of Planet Earth. In that case it was spores.

[BeFree]

2. ...

...Just feed them a few grits. Easier and cheap. Safe, too.

[damntexdem]

3. Great idea! If you've ever been bitten by a fire ant, you'll realize why.

Just so long as nothing turns fire ants into vampires! Yikes, flying, immortal fire ants with a craving for human blood! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggghhhhhhhhhhh!

[Warpy]

4. At last! A real PREDATOR for those damned things

that is very, very good news.

Now if they can only find something that has developed a taste for Africanized bees but will leave honeybees alone.

[centristgrandpa]

5. too real...

May bee we should slip a few of those nasty little munchkins into the congressional chambers, wouldn't hurt, they don't seem to be doing much anyway, aNd we thought them public servants were zombies.

[ZombieHorde]

6. Bad ass. nt

[Sequoia]

7. Their heads will fall off !!? Geee-rros !!!

Don't let PETA know...they'll have a protest of some sort.