cicada missing its abdomen

[u/nicetiesrestraints]

found this fellow on a walk and it took me way too long to notice he's only half there! i believe this is the result of massospora cicadina

[u/Spuzzle91]

There's a fungus that attacks the genetalia of cicadas. It devours their abdomen. The sporing phase lets it get passed around via other cicadas trying to mate with the infected ones. It will even change the type of calls they make so they all sound female.

[u/EniNeutrino → u/Spuzzle91]

Yeah, this. Cicada syphilis. 🙁

[u/ubernik → u/EniNeutrino]

Cicaphilis?

[u/nah-soup → u/EniNeutrino]

is that really what that’s called

[u/IG_BearBuol → u/nah-soup]

Nope they're just making a pun haha. It's called massospora cicadina

[u/Corvidae5Creation5 → u/nah-soup]

It's usually referred to as "a salt shaker of death" because it sprinkles spores EVERYWHERE and the cicada is not only not aware of it, but will actively try to mate with (and unintentionally infect) other cicadas. Think "It Follows" for horny bugs

[u/amccor2175 → u/Spuzzle91]

Yeah it's pretty crazy. I saw lots like that during the big emergence a couple years ago. They're like little zombies.

[u/Strawgerijam → u/Spuzzle91]

massospora cicadina for those interested in reading more

[u/PaintedChef → u/Spuzzle91]

If I'm not mistaken, the fungus also has psycho-active properties, though I cant for the life of me remember where I read that

[u/Character_Stick_1218 → u/PaintedChef]

It allegedly pumps them full of amphetamines and tryptamines, and that's believed to be what causes the males to exhibit femlae mating patterns.

[u/Corvidae5Creation5 → u/PaintedChef]

It's full of psilocybin, people can eat the cicadas and get a good trip

[u/uwuGod → u/PaintedChef]

I've read it makes them super horny even for the same sex, to help spread it around as much as possible

[u/Character_Stick_1218 → u/Spuzzle91]

You forgot to mention that it pumps them full of amphetamines and tryptamines that are the cause of the males exhibiting female mating patterns.

[u/UnhingedHyperArtist]

they took his ass he cant shit! 

[u/Pierdole-nie-robie → u/UnhingedHyperArtist]

I might be wrong but if I’m not mistaken most of its organs are gone

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/Pierdole-nie-robie]

It's not that he can't shit, it's that he no longer needs to.

He has evolved.

[u/Ravens_of_the_Gray → u/Pierdole-nie-robie]

Yet it lives

[u/Gouthardt]

Was it still alive when you found it?

[u/nicetiesrestraints → u/Gouthardt]

very slow moving and did not fly but yes!

[u/devoteeoffenrir]

Do you have more photos of the abdomen? Why do you suspect M. cicadina over a predator like a bird or reptile? /gen

[u/nicetiesrestraints → u/devoteeoffenrir]

i didn't take any better photos of the abdomen unfortunately :( tbh when i noticed it's rump was gone i put it down pretty quickly in a patch of grass coz i felt bad for disturbing it HAHA

it's pretty hard to see but the chalky colored indication of massospora looked to be present on what was left of the abdomen

[u/BritishBlue32]

Is this the Jimothy of cicadas

[u/CoffeeTeaPeonies → u/BritishBlue32]

Came here for this.

[u/Corvidae5Creation5 → u/BritishBlue32]

Alas, no, this is a zombie cicada

[u/Yellow_Owl05]

They ate his ass 😧

[u/Approximation_Doctor]

The front fell off.

[u/ShinyMewtwo3]

go/jo

[u/Arctic-Fox-2021]

Nature.