Speculative Fact #240 Wasps Turn Ladybugs Into Zombie Bodyguards

If you can’t kill them, make them work for you. A species of parasitic wasp (Dinocampus coccinellae ) lay their eggs inside ladybugs. Their eggs bear an RNA virus that infects the host’s brain, causing things like nasty tremors along the way.

            In a bizarre example of mental hijacking, the zombie ladybug guards the hatched wasp pupae as they then spin their cocoons. Once the virus clears, the ladybug can finally return to normality.

            What kind of interesting and disturbing uses of this biological mind control can we think of for our stories? What would it be like to be under outside control? Once we were back to normal would anyone believe us?

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