Pandora formicae

Pandora formicae brings zombie-ant behavior to temperate forests, manipulating wood ants (Formica) much as Ophiocordyceps manipulates tropical carpenter ants. Infected ants climb vegetation and bite down on plant structures, dying in elevated positions that facilitate spore dispersal. The convergence between tropical Ophiocordyceps and temperate Pandora—distantly related fungi manipulating related but distinct ant hosts—demonstrates the robust evolutionary advantages of summit disease behavior.

P. formicae spreads rapidly through ant colonies during humid conditions. Unlike Ophiocordyceps, which develops slowly and produces a single stalked fruiting body, Pandora erupts quickly and explosively, covering the dead ant with white spore-bearing structures within hours. This rapid development suits the more variable temperate climate, where optimal dispersal conditions may be brief. The fungus trades the elaborate fruiting structures of tropical relatives for speed and simplicity.

The ant-fungal arms race in Pandora-Formica systems shows different dynamics than Ophiocordyceps-Camponotus systems. Wood ants are more socially sophisticated than carpenter ants, with behaviors that help limit disease spread. Infected ants may be detected and removed from colonies before they can leave to climb. The host ant's social immune system creates selection pressure for faster fungal manipulation—the pathogen must control behavior before the colony can respond. This coevolutionary dynamic shapes both fungal virulence and ant social behavior.